After their time on Byker Grove, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly rose to fame as a popular television duo. However, in 2018, their success was overshadowed when Ant was arrested for a drink-driving incident in west London.
The incident occurred following Ant’s rehabilitation for alcohol and painkiller addiction. Nearly eight years later, Declan praised Ant for his remarkable transformation since the crash, expressing admiration for his friend’s efforts to turn his life around.
Ant, 50, had been returning from walking his dogs in Richmond Park when he collided with a BMW and a Mini Cooper, resulting in an £86,000 fine and a 20-month driving ban. Declan commended Ant’s accountability and positive changes, emphasizing the significant personal growth he witnessed in his friend.
Following his guilty plea, Ant withdrew from hosting duties and re-entered rehab. Holly Willoughby temporarily replaced him on I’m A Celebrity, while Dec led episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway. Ant returned to television in 2019 to host Britain’s Got Talent after taking a year off to focus on his recovery.
During Ant’s rehabilitation, his actions prompted Declan to consider pursuing a solo career due to his initial shock and disappointment in Ant’s behavior. Ant later expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the severity of drink-driving and the impact of his choices.
In a recent incident, Ant and Dec faced criticism for a podcast promotion that featured controversial imagery. They issued a public apology and removed the content in response to the backlash, acknowledging their mistake and committing to more responsible content creation in the future.