Declan Donnelly broke down in tears as he ressured his pal Ant McPartlin ‘it will all be OK’ in an emotional letter to his younger self.
Ant, 50, has previously shared his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, and he went sober after being found guilty of drink-driving in 2018.
In a moving preview clip for their podcast, Hanging Out With Ant and Dec, Dec became visibly emotional in the message to his younger self, breaking down as he admitted it was ‘hard’ to read.
The full episode, which drops at 6pm on Belta Box’s YouTube channel, sees Dec share a letter, having previously read out entries from his diary which he penned back in 1994.
Dec read out his final diary entry, which detailed how he and Ant and were moving into a new house together after spending several weeks on tour as their music duo PJ and Duncan.
He then began reading the letter, which said: ‘Dear Declan, it’s from me/you from the future. From 2026, sounds exciting right?
Declan Donnelly broke down in tears as he ressured his pal Ant McPartlin’it will all be OK’ in an emotional letter to his younger self
Ant, 50, has previously shared his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, before going sober after being found guilty of drink-driving in 2018
‘Well, I’m sad to report. We’re not yet traveling around in hover cars, or nor do we have robot servants or space colonies.
‘But I wanted to write you this letter to tell you that I found and I’ve just finished reading the diary you kept in March and April 1994 on yours and Ant’s new podcast, which you can hear and watch on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and all other podcast providers and on Belta Box channel on YouTube.
‘I realise pretty much all of that information won’t make any sense whatsoever considering you haven’t been introduced to the internet yet, you don’t know what an email is and you haven’t even started texting.
‘That’s coming later this year when you get your first Nokia 2110. But rest assured, it is a good thing.
‘It’s brought back a lot of memories from that time. Things I’d forgotten to be honest, and it’s reminded me how life felt for you back then.
‘I remember it was exciting and exhilarating yet daunting and bewildering, thrilling and intoxicating, yet intense and exhausting.
‘I know you think you and Ant have left to go on a bit of an adventure for a few weeks, but, and you don’t realise it yet, you’ve both pretty much left home now, and your lives will never return to how they have been.
‘I don’t want to reveal too much of what happens next because you need to live the next adventure ahead and experience the highs and lows and the lessons they will teach you. Those lessons will make you the man you are today.
‘However, I have a few words of advice to make the next part of your life and the ride that is ahead a bit more enjoyable.
‘Grab every opportunity that comes your way and give it your all. I know this foundation has been laid by the wonderful people you’ve worked with on Byker Grove, and rest assured they’ve set you on the right path.
‘Treasure the true friendships you make, lots of people will come and go, but the real friendships last. Don’t take them for granted, though. They must be nurtured.
In a moving clip from their podcast Hanging Out With Ant and Dec, Declan becomes emotional as he tells his younger self his friendship with Ant will ‘endure through thick and thin’
‘That’s why, and I know this will be no spoiler, yours and Ant’s friendship will endure through thick and thin, and if you can believe it, is even stronger in 2026 than it is now.
‘Stop and smell the flowers from time to time, and don’t pay so much attention to the weeds. Don’t worry so much about things not being perfect or what’s coming next and have those anxieties ruin the present.
‘Enjoy what’s coming your way and appreciate it.’
Dec then broke down as he admitted this part would be the ‘hard bit’ to read, continuing: ‘Get home as much as you can. Your family have given you the best star in life.
‘Your success is their success, so share it with them. You’ll miss them and Newcastle more than you know, but they’ll always be there for you.’
‘They’re not all going to be there forever, though. So, appreciate them all while you have them.
‘Don’t get too high with the highs or too low with the lows. You’ll have your fair share of both, and it’s too exhausting to constantly ride that roller coaster.
‘Finally, and most importantly, buy a flipping hair dryer. They’re not that expensive. Splash out. What’s the matter with you?
‘But thank you for writing the diary. I wish you’d done more, but it’s been a fantastic reminder of a special period in your life.
Gathering himself, Dec continued: ‘Say hi to 1994 Ant for me. Tell him to remember he’s a great kid, and it will all be OK. Even when it feels like it won’t.
‘Look out for each other, enjoy the ride and hey, respect guys. Love from future Dec.’
Ant recently declared he is the ‘happiest he has ever been’ after going sober following his ‘tough’ drink-driving ordeal in 2018.
The TV presenter’s career appeared to be in tatters when he was arrested for drink-driving close to his London home.
He was later handed a record £86,000 fine – thought to be the highest fine ever handed out by a British court for the offence. The star has since shared he quit drinking and went sober in the wake of his arrest.
Prior to that, Ant took a break from the spotlight and entered rehab in 2017 after sharing he’d become addicted to prescription drugs he’d been taking following a knee operation.
Ant reflected on his past decade with best pal Declan in the interview.
The father-of-one, who welcomed his first child with wife Anne-Marie in 2024, explained: ‘Turning 50 for me was great because my early forties was a really tough time. These last few years, it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time.
‘What changes as you get older, especially being sober as well, for me, is the purpose.’
Dec explained in The Times: ‘What I most admire is that with the challenges he’s faced, especially over the last few years, Ant took responsibility and real action.
Dec shared the letter to his younger self having previously read out entries from his teenage diary which he penned back in 1994 (pictured in 1993)
The TV presenter’s career appeared to be in tatters when he was arrested for drink-driving close to his London home (pictured shortly after the incident)
‘He worked on himself so much to get back not just to being himself but actually being a much better person than he was before.
At the time of the ordeal, Ant was pictured looking dishevelled and out of sorts after colliding with a BMW after taking his dogs for a walk in nearby Richmond Park.
The star was already in the midst of a troublesome year, having sought treatment for an addiction to painkillers and confirmed his separation from wife Lisa Armstrong.
Then ITV cancelled Saturday Night Takeaway so he could enter residential rehabilitation for a second time.
Ant went on to find love with Anne-Marie Corbett.
Ant refers to Anne-Marie as his ‘rock and lifesaver’ and she took on the role of sober coach after he had a much publicised alcohol and prescription painkiller addiction, which he has now overcome.
The couple tied the knot in 2021 and are parents to their son Wilder, two, and teenage daughters Poppy and Daisy from Anne-Marie’s previous marriage to Scott Corbett.
Ant first embraced the quiet life in 2018 while in recovery and he said she was ‘his rock’ during this time.
He said: ‘I got out of hospital and I rented houses in the country and locked myself away and walked the dog. No TV or social media. I did nothing.
‘I barely watched the World Cup. I worked on myself and got well. For 16 years I’ve spent my birthday in Australia so I thought I’d spend it with Anne-Marie. It was gorgeous.’
Ant and Anne-Marie met back in 2017, when Anne-Marie began working with the TV host as his personal assistant.
She was previously married to Scott, but the pair split in October 2017 – the year Ant also split from his first wife, Lisa, who Anne-Marie also worked for and was friends with.
Ant has always maintained that their relationship began after they were both single saying Anne-Marie is ‘honest and good’.
The couple traded in their £6million Wimbledon home for a quieter £10million gated pad in Cobham, Surrey in February.
Source: https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-15946273/Declan-Donnelly-wells-tells-Ant-McPartlin-remember-ok-feels-like-wont-letter-younger-self.html
