🔥 “He Didn’t Just Come Back — He Became Better”: Declan Donnelly on Ant McPartlin’s Remarkable Transformation After His Darkest Chapter

There was a moment when it looked as though Ant McPartlin might lose everything.

His career.
His reputation.
And possibly the partnership that had defined British television for more than three decades.

But now, years after the drink-driving scandal that rocked the nation in 2018, his closest ally Declan Donnelly says Ant didn’t just survive the fall — he changed for the better.

“What I most admire,” Dec said, “is that Ant took responsibility and real action. He worked on himself so much — not just to get back to being himself, but to become a much better person than he was before.”

 The Night That Nearly Ended It All

In 2018, Ant’s world unravelled in public. He was arrested near his London home after crashing his car while twice the legal alcohol limit, colliding with multiple vehicles after walking his dogs near Richmond Park.

The incident left a four-year-old child needing hospital treatment and resulted in a record £86,000 fine — believed to be the highest ever handed down by a British court for drink-driving.

Declan Donnelly has said that his close friend Ant McPartlin is now a ‘much better person than he was before’ – after his drink-driving ordeal in 2018

Ant’s career appeared to be in tatters when he was arrested for drink-driving close to his London home

At the time, Ant was already battling painkiller addiction and the breakdown of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong. ITV even cancelled Saturday Night Takeaway so he could enter residential rehabilitation for a second time.

To many, it looked like the end.

 “He Took Responsibility — Properly”

But speaking candidly in The Times, Dec revealed what happened next wasn’t a PR comeback — it was a personal reckoning.

Ant didn’t deflect blame.
He didn’t hide behind excuses.
He stepped back, faced himself, and did the work.

And according to Dec, that decision changed everything.

 Turning 50, Turning a Corner

Ant himself has admitted his early forties were the toughest years of his life.

“Turning 50 was great,” he said.
“My early forties were really hard. These last few years? It’s the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time.”

For a man once defined by chaos and crisis, the words landed with quiet power.

 Still Learning — Even Under Fire

Even now, Ant and Dec haven’t escaped controversy. Just weeks ago, the duo were forced to remove a podcast promo clip after fans criticised its imagery as triggering and insensitive.

They apologised quickly, deleted the video, and acknowledged the feedback — a response that many felt showed how much they’ve learned since earlier mistakes.

Mental-health advocates were still vocal, but the contrast to past missteps was clear: accountability came first.

 Still ITV’s Golden Duo

Despite everything, Ant and Dec remain two of the most trusted faces on British television, fronting juggernauts like I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win.

They’ve recently secured a reported £30 million ITV deal, keeping them on screen until at least 2028 — a testament to public forgiveness, but also to genuine change.

 Not a Comeback — A Rebuild

Dec’s words don’t paint Ant as a man who simply bounced back.

They describe someone who broke, reflected, and rebuilt himself piece by piece.

In an industry obsessed with image, Ant McPartlin’s story has become something rarer — a reminder that growth doesn’t always look glamorous, but it can be real.

And sometimes, as his best friend puts it, the hardest fall produces a better version of the person who stands back up.