Declan Donnelly breaks down in tears as he tells pal Ant McPartlin ‘it will be OK’ in emotional letter to his younger self amid the star’s battle with alcohol, drug addiction and drink-driving ordeal

Declan Donnelly broke down in tears as he reassured pal Ant McPartlin that ‘everything will be okay’ in an emotional letter to his younger self.

Ant, 50, has previously shared his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and got sober after being convicted of drink driving in 2018.

In the stunning preview clip for their podcast Hang Out With Ant and Dec, Dec became visibly emotional in his message to his younger self, breaking down as he admitted it was ‘difficult’ to read the message.

Dec shared the letter with his younger self, who had previously read the teenage diary he wrote in 1994 during his and Ant’s rise to fame.

‘This might be a bit difficult,’ he said, trying to hold back tears while Ant said: ‘Yeah, I’m sure mate.’

Dec collected himself and continued: ‘Say hello to 1994 Ant for me. Tell him to remember that he’s a great kid and everything will be okay. Even if it seems like it won’t happen.

Ant, 50, has previously shared his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction before getting sober after being found guilty of drink driving in 2018.

‘Take care of each other, enjoy the journey and say hello and respect friends. Best regards from the future, December’

Ant recently revealed he is the ‘happiest he’s ever been’ after getting sober following his ‘toughening’ drink-driving experience in 2018.

The TV presenter’s career looked in tatters when he was arrested for drink driving near his London home.

He was later given a record fine of £86,000; this was thought to be the highest fine ever imposed by a British court for this offence. The star shared that he quit drinking and became sober after his arrest.

Before this, Ant stepped away from the spotlight and entered rehab in 2017 after sharing that he became addicted to the prescription drugs he used after knee surgery.

In the interview, Ant reflected on the last decade he spent with his best friend Declan.

The father-of-one, who welcomed his first child with wife Anne-Marie in 2024, explained: ‘Turning 50 was great for me because my early forties were a really difficult time. The last few years, this is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.

‘What changes as I get older, especially sobriety, is the goal for me.’

Announced in December Times: ‘What I admire most is Ant’s ability to take responsibility and take real action, especially in the challenges he has faced over the last few years.

Dec shared the letter with his younger self, who had previously read the teenage diary entries he wrote in 1994 (pictured in 1993)

The TV presenter’s career looked in tatters when he was arrested for drink driving near his London home (pictured shortly after the incident)

‘He’s worked hard on himself, not just to be himself, but to actually be a much better person than he was before.

During the ordeal, Ant was photographed looking disheveled and disgruntled after colliding with a BMW after taking his dogs for a walk in nearby Richmond Park.

The star was already in the middle of a troubled year, seeking treatment for his painkiller addiction and confirming his split from wife Lisa Armstrong.

ITV then canceled Saturday Night Takeaway so he could enter residential rehab for a second time.

Ant went on to find love with Anne-Marie Corbett.

Ant describes Anne-Marie as his ‘rock and lifesaver’, and Anne-Marie has taken on the role of sober coach after a much-publicised addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers, which she has now overcome.

The couple married in 2021 and are parents to two-year-old son Wilder and teenage daughters Poppy and Daisy from Anne-Marie’s previous marriage to Scott Corbett.

Ant first embraced the quiet life in 2018 while he was in recovery, saying she was ‘his rock’ during this period.

He said: ‘I left hospital, rented houses in the country, locked myself up and walked the dog. There is no television or social media. I didn’t do anything.

‘I’ve barely watched the World Cup. I worked on myself and got better. I’ve spent my birthday in Australia for 16 years and so I thought I’d spend it with Anne-Marie. “It was amazing.”

Ant and Anne-Marie met in 2017, when Anne-Marie started working as the TV presenter’s personal assistant.

She was previously married to Scott, but the pair split in October 2017; This year Ant also split from his first wife Lisa, with whom Anne-Marie also worked and was friends.

Ant has always maintained that their relationship started after they were both single, saying Anne-Marie was ‘honest and good’.

The couple swapped their £6million Wimbledon home for a quieter £10million gated area in Cobham, Surrey, in February.