Dec Donnelly opens up about the 'struggles' of parenthood
He's a first time dad
Author: Georgie HollandPublished 1st Feb 2019 Last updated 2nd Feb 2019
Dec Donnelly has opened up about parenthood, revealing it is in fact the 'hardest thing he's ever done' and it should 'come with a warning'. Dec and his wife Ali Astall welcomed their first child, baby Isla, in September 2018. Since then,
Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said, "No one tells you how hard being a parent is! We could have had a warning! It is literally the hardest thing I've ever done but I’m loving it."
After getting married in his hometown of Newcastle back in 2015, Dec and Ali welcomed their first child in September 2018. Announcing the news on Instagram, Dec wrote 'Ali and I are thrilled to announce the arrival of our baby girl, Isla Elizabeth Anne, who was born just after 9 o’clock this morning. Mother and daughter both doing well, Dad is head over heels! D x' sic
After returning from Australia, where he hosted I'm a Celebrity alongside Holly Willoughby, Dec was recently reunited with his best friend and co-presenter Ant McPartlin.
After taking a year off in order to focus on his recovery, Ant returned to work on Friday 18th January for the first set of 2019's Britain's Got Talent auditions.
Fans were overjoyed when the boys shared a selfie on their Instagram page, writing 'The boys are back in town!' sic
Check out all of the winners from the 2019 National Television Awards:
Quiz Show
WINNER: The Chase 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Pointless A League of Their Own Catchphrase
Dec Donnelly opens up about the 'struggles' of parenthood
2 of 15
Serial Drama
WINNER: Emmerdale Coronation Street EastEnders Hollyoaks
Quiz Show
WINNER: The Chase 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Pointless A League of Their Own Catchphrase
TV Presenter
WINNER: Ant & Dec Holly Willoughby Phillip Schofield Graham Norton Bradley Walsh
Drama Performance
WINNER: Richard Madden as Sgt David Budd - Bodyguard Michelle Keegan as L.Cpl Georgie Lane - Our Girl Jodie Comer as Villanelle - Killing Eve Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor - Doctor Who Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby - Peaky Blinders
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
WINNER: I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway All Round To Mrs Brown's The Graham Norton Show Love Island
Serial Drama Performance
WINNER: Danny Dyer as Mick Carter in EastEnders Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle in Emmerdale Bonnie Langford as Carmel Kazemi in EastEnders Jack P Shepherd as David Platt in Coronation Street Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle in Emmerdale
Comedy
WINNER: Peter Kay's Car Share Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father Benidorm Mrs Brown's Boys The Big Bang Theory
Factual Entertainment
WINNER: Paul O'Grady: For The Love Of Dogs The Great British Bake Off Gogglebox Ambulance DIY SOS: The Big Build
New Drama
WINNER: Bodyguard Killing Eve Girlfriends The Cry A Discovery Of Witches
Daytime
WINNER: This Morning Good Morning Britain The Jeremy Kyle Show Sunday Brunch Loose Women
Newcomer
WINNER: James Moore as Ryan Stocks in Emmerdale Ricky Champ as Stuart Highway in EastEnders Aedan Duckworth as Oliver Morgan in Hollyoaks Alexandra Mardell as Emma Brooker in Coronation Street Neet Mohan as Dr Rashid 'Rash' Masum in Casualty
TV Judge
WINNER: David Walliams on Britain's Got Talent Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor Robert Rinder on Judge Rinder Robbie Williams on The X Factor Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor
Peaky Blinders
UK: TBC, BBC One/US: TBC, Netflix Despite a huge following, all good criminal empires must come to an end, and creator Steven Knight has confirmed that Cillian Murphy's Tommy and his gang will have their televisual swan song this year. There is talk of a follow-up film, though, so this is likely not the last we've seen of the Shelbys.
Special Recognition
WINNER: David Dimbleby
Talent Show
WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing Dancing On Ice The Voice UK The X Factor Britain's Got Talent
Serial Drama
WINNER: Emmerdale Coronation Street EastEnders Hollyoaks
Quiz Show
WINNER: The Chase 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Pointless A League of Their Own Catchphrase
TV Presenter
WINNER: Ant & Dec Holly Willoughby Phillip Schofield Graham Norton Bradley Walsh
Drama Performance
WINNER: Richard Madden as Sgt David Budd - Bodyguard Michelle Keegan as L.Cpl Georgie Lane - Our Girl Jodie Comer as Villanelle - Killing Eve Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor - Doctor Who Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby - Peaky Blinders
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
WINNER: I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway All Round To Mrs Brown's The Graham Norton Show Love Island
Serial Drama Performance
WINNER: Danny Dyer as Mick Carter in EastEnders Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle in Emmerdale Bonnie Langford as Carmel Kazemi in EastEnders Jack P Shepherd as David Platt in Coronation Street Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle in Emmerdale
Comedy
WINNER: Peter Kay's Car Share Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father Benidorm Mrs Brown's Boys The Big Bang Theory
Factual Entertainment
WINNER: Paul O'Grady: For The Love Of Dogs The Great British Bake Off Gogglebox Ambulance DIY SOS: The Big Build
New Drama
WINNER: Bodyguard Killing Eve Girlfriends The Cry A Discovery Of Witches
Daytime
WINNER: This Morning Good Morning Britain The Jeremy Kyle Show Sunday Brunch Loose Women
Newcomer
WINNER: James Moore as Ryan Stocks in Emmerdale Ricky Champ as Stuart Highway in EastEnders Aedan Duckworth as Oliver Morgan in Hollyoaks Alexandra Mardell as Emma Brooker in Coronation Street Neet Mohan as Dr Rashid 'Rash' Masum in Casualty
TV Judge
WINNER: David Walliams on Britain's Got Talent Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor Robert Rinder on Judge Rinder Robbie Williams on The X Factor Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor
Peaky Blinders
UK: TBC, BBC One/US: TBC, Netflix Despite a huge following, all good criminal empires must come to an end, and creator Steven Knight has confirmed that Cillian Murphy's Tommy and his gang will have their televisual swan song this year. There is talk of a follow-up film, though, so this is likely not the last we've seen of the Shelbys.
Special Recognition
WINNER: David Dimbleby
Talent Show
WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing Dancing On Ice The Voice UK The X Factor Britain's Got Talent
Serial Drama
WINNER: Emmerdale Coronation Street EastEnders Hollyoaks
Although no official date has been confirmed, Britain's Got Talent is expected to return to our TV screens later in the year.
Tune into Northern Ireland's Home of Great Music, Downtown Radio on FM, AM, DAB Digital Radio, online, on our Rayo app and by asking your smart speaker to 'Play Downtown Radio'. Gary & Glen kick things off every weekday morning and Neal McClelland brings you home on Downtown Drive.