{"id":306440,"date":"2025-12-09T06:24:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T06:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/306440\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T06:24:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T06:24:11","slug":"dec-donnelly-reveals-solo-plans-theres-real-freedom-without-ant-mcpartlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/306440\/","title":{"rendered":"Dec Donnelly reveals solo plans – there’s ‘real freedom’ without Ant McPartlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

The presenter is having a break from his sidekick over the festive period, despite Ant’s dismay at not being invited to co-host a quiz alongside Dec<\/p>\n

20:00, 08 Dec 2025Updated 20:03, 08 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"AntDec insists he’s going to go solo with some quiz hosting over the fesrive period(Image: (Image: ITV))<\/p>\n

Declan Donnelly is one half of the biggest TV double act in Britain, but he\u2019s told of his plans to go it alone this Christmas<\/a>, now that I\u2019m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here is over.<\/p>\n

He and long-term sidekick Ant McPartlin<\/a> will be seen hosting a pre-recorded Christmas special of their ITV<\/a> quiz Limitless Win over the festive period, with guests Amanda Holden<\/a> and Jamie Redknapp<\/a> helping out as unsuspecting players chosen from the studio audience.<\/p>\n

But for now Dec<\/a>, 50, says he\u2019s having a break from Ant, also 50. Asked about his plans for the festive season, the presenter said: \u201cI always write a quiz for my family. We have quiz night and I host it. I do it for free because it’s family, I don’t charge them! It\u2019s a little quiz on the events of the year just gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity voting figures reveal huge gulf between finalists as fans had their say<\/a>READ MORE: Kate Winslet spends every Christmas with one of her ex-husbands with ‘no tension’<\/a>\"DecDec’s wife Ali is likely to be one of those taking part in his family quiz this Christmas(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

But when Ant asked if he didn\u2019t \u201cmiss someone to host with\u201d Dec declared: \u201cNo, I love it. There\u2019s a real freedom!\u201d And asked what he was planning, Ant could only retort: \u201cI was gonna help Dec present his family quiz, but clearly not now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ant also poured scorn on Dec\u2019s plans, saying: \u201cDon’t you ever wish you were playing the quiz? Or do you love being a host so much that you do it in your down time?\u201d<\/p>\n

For his own family, the Christmas ritual is to play games with his step-daughters Daisy and Poppy, who are 14 and 16. Ant said: \u201cWe always play our board games Christmas night and we kind of invented a few over the years, me and the kids,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe have played traditional ones like Monopoly and there’s been quite a lot of physical ones, a bit of dancing in the box blindfolded.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AntAnt and Dec have been best friends since meeting on Byker Grove back in 1989(Image: Kieron McCarron\/ITV\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

Ant and Dec have just spent the past two months in Australia<\/a>, where Ant – who wed second wife Anne-Marie Corbett in 2021 – celebrated his milestone birthday with Dec by his side.<\/p>\n

They now plan to have a break from each other over Christmas, to spend time with their own families. But the pair will soon be back together in the New Year<\/a>. And dad of two Dec sniffed: \u201cWe might get together over Christmas for a little snowball fight in the park. You never know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explaining the festive special, Dec said: \u201cBecause it’s Christmas, we wanted to do something a little bit special, so we\u2019ve surprised some unsuspecting members of our studio audience with the chance to come and play. They thought they were just coming to watch the show and in fact, they ended up right in the middle of it. They had no idea it was gonna happen and their reactions were brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair disagreed on their favourite things to eat over the festive season. \u201cI love a mince pie, I love Christmas pudding and I love Christmas cake,\u201d Ant declared, while Dec insisted: \u201cI love a Yule log.\u201d<\/p>\n

But they bonded over their love of another legendary TV duo. \u201cChristmas is never complete without watching Morecambe and Wise,\u201d Dec said. \u201cA bit of Eric and Ernie with some chocolate.\u201d Ant agreed: \u201cEvery year I think I’ve seen them all, and it’ll be on and it\u2019s like a comfy pair of slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n

– Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win: Christmas Special, Sunday 27th December, 8:30pm, ITV1 and ITVX<\/p>\n

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok<\/a>, Snapchat<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n