Dec: Ant’s nightmare put me in therapy
DECLAN Donnelly has revealed that he has been in therapy since his TV partner Ant McPartlin’s drink-drive scandal.
Ant lost control of his car last March in a crash that left a young child injured, and afterwards the Britain’s Got Talent host entered rehab for alcohol issues.
Dec described the week after the crash as ‘horrific’ and in a candid first interview about the ordeal, he confessed he has sought counselling himself.
‘I’m not too proud to say I sought help when Ant was away. It’s the most destabilising thing that has ever happened to me. I had some counselling and I still do,’ he said.
Asked if he is on medication, Dec – married to the duo’s former manager Ali Astall – said: ‘No, just counselling. Therapy. It helps to talk to somebody independent, who doesn’t watch or care about TV. We just sit back and talk for an hour.’
Dec, who became a father for the first time when daughter Isla was born last year, also labelled as ‘indefensible’ Ant’s actions.
He added: ‘It felt like a nightmare, that there’d been a mistake. “Of course he didn’t do that.’’ How could he do that? I wanted to punch him and hug him at the same time – and I didn’t know which one I wanted to do first.’ After the crash, Ant checked into rehab and withdrew from his ITV work commitments. He later pleaded guilty to drinkdriving and was fined £86,000 and given a 20-month driving ban.
With Ant in rehab, Dec was left to host the live shows of Britain’s Got Talent alone.
Ant was also temporarily replaced on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! by This Morning’s Holly Willoughby.
The Geordie presenters, both 43, return together for Britain’s Got Talent, which starts next week. They have already filmed the prerecorded auditions. And, Dec said in an interview with The Guardian’s Weekend magazine, they are happier than ever working together.