Declan Donnelly was reportedly earning a major amount per day while presenting solo after Ant McPartlin’s arrest for drink-driving.
From 2018 to 2019, Ant, 49, took a year’s break from presenting to focus on his recovery following addiction issues.
He was also handed an £86,000 fine and 20-month ban from driving in 2018, following a multi-car crash in London.
As a result, Ant’s presenting partner Dec, 49, – who is back on screens tonight (May 10) for Britain’s Got Talent – hosted several of their shows solo.
And in 2020, it was claimed that Dec had raked in a huge amount while working solo.
Declan Donnelly presented solo without Ant McPartlin
In 2018, presenter Ant McPartlin and his on-screen partner Declan Donnelly thought their joint future in telly might be in jeopardy when, in early 2018, Ant’s drinking addiction and stress levels caused him to crash his car.
He paid a hefty fine as a result – no one sustained life-threatening injuries, thankfully. Ant also checked himself into rehab and in the process, in his own words, lost, then regained, his identity.
At the same time, Dec continued with his presenting gigs, hosting shows like Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway.
He also fronted the 2018 series of I’m A Celebrity, alongside Holly Willoughby.
And it turns out Dec was making a ton of cash during his brief solo presenting stint…
How much did Declan Donnelly earn?
Back in 2020, documents filed at Companies House were made available to the public.
They revealed that from June 2018 to June 2019 Dec cashed in £5,283,051 through his company Deecourt Limited.
What’s more, they showed that Dec bagged £14,000 per day, up £1,000 a day compared to the previous year.
The Sun also reported that more than £1 million came through a series of companies that Dec owns with Ant.
Ant’s drink-drive scandal
After a stint in rehab, Ant was faced with more drama when he was charged with drink-driving following a multi-car crash in London in 2018.
The incident saw Ant drive in the wrong lane, before hitting a Mini with a family inside, and then crashing into a BMW.
Ant was banned from driving for 20 months and given an £86,000 fine after pleading guilty. He said he was “ashamed and mortified” by his actions after entering a guilty plea at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in April.
He was twice the legal limit when he was arrested on March 18. The court was told Ant had 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35mcg per 100 ml.
Watch Dec on Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday (May 10) at 7:00pm on ITV1.
Read more: Declan Donnelly’s heartbreak after death of brother: ‘The world is now a slightly worse place’
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