Declan Donnelly revealed that he worried Ant McPartlin’s addiction issues would bring their screen partnership – and friendship – to an end.
Speaking at the launch for the duo’s new genealogy series Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey, Donnelly, 44, said he feared their double act would not “survive” a difficult period which saw McPartlin enter rehab after a drink driving conviction.
He admitted that he felt “incredibly angry” that his friend did not immediately confide in him.”
He said: “It has been a tough couple of years. It has really tested the bond we have shared since we were like 13 years old.
“I was incredibly angry at the start. So angry. Disappointed in him that he didn’t ever come to me and say: ‘I am struggling and I need you’.
“I thought that if the shoe was on the other foot I would have gone to him and said: ‘I am in trouble and I can’t handle this. I need your help’.
“And he never came to me. That hurt me a lot.”
Asked whether there was a point he thought he would lose McPartlin from his life, he replied: “Yeah. There was a point where I thought that was it.
“There were times I wasn’t sure it was going to survive, times you didn’t know he needed to survive or you wanted it to survive.”
McPartlin said he thought his career was over after the drink driving conviction and that the public had “had enough” of him.
The TV presenter, 43, took a break from the spotlight last year, in which he missed filming for Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and was replaced by Holly Willoughby as Donnelly’s co-presenter on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
He said the last two years had been “a very sad affair” but that “just being back on screen” was “quite emotional”.
Ant and Dec – In pictures
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly AKA PJ and Duncan with their hit single ‘Let’s get ready to rumble
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Anthony McPartlin, Cat Deeley and Declan Donnelly on SM:TV in 2000
Rex
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PJ and Duncan (Ant and Dec) in Byker Grove
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in theri breakthrough programme Byker Grove
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly star in Byker Grove in 2000
BBC
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host SM:TV Live in 2000
Rex Features
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Cat Deeley presenting Party in the Park
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host ‘Friends Like These’ in 2000
BBC
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hosts of The Brit Awards in 2001
ITV
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Pop Idol presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly celebrate with Will Young after he won the inaugural series in 2002
PA
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Pop Idol judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox pose with show hosts Ant and Dec in 2003
/PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2003
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in disguise present Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2003
ITV
15/45
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly for Most Popular Entertainment Programme for Saturday Night Takeaway with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, at the 10th Anniversary National Television Awards 2004
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
17/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly provide the voices behind CITV’s engaging pre-school animation series Engie Benjy – Dec is the voice
ITV
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Spitting Image puppets mimic Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2006
PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Britain;ls Got Talent winner Paul Potts in 2007
Rex Features
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly laugh backstage at Britain’s Got Talent in 2007
ITV
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Red Or Black with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2011
ITV
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Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at House Festival, Chiswick House & Gardens in 2012
Getty Images
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hosts for ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin (L) and Declan Donnelly, winners of Best Entertainment Programme for “Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway”, pose in the winners room at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at Theatre Royal in 2015
Dave Benett
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George Shelley takes part in his final trial, watched by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2015
Rex
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Kim Kardashian West, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly attend the BRIT Awards 2015
Dave Benett
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2016
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Ant vs Dec in Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent presenters Anthony McPartlin, left, and Declan Donnelly arrive for the Blackpool auditions for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ at The Opera House in 2017
Getty Images
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Ant and Dec on stage in Britain’s Got Talent
ITV
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Ant and Dec arrive at Buckingham Palace, London, where the pair will be awarded OBE’s by the Prince of Wales at an Investiture ceremony in 2017
PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway: The Missing Crown Jewels (Part 3) with Michael Sheen in 2017
ITV
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Ant and Dec and their wives Lisa Armstrong and Ali Astall arrive at Buckingham Palace, London, where the pair will be awarded OBE’s by the Prince of Wales at an Investiture ceremony in 2017
PA
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Ant and Dec in the press room with the award for Best Challenge Show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’ at the National Television Awards 2017
PA
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Ant McPartlin (left to right), Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Declan Donnelly attending the Britain’s Got Talent Photocall at the Opera House, Church Street, Blackpool in January 2018
PA
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ in 2017
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on Britain’s Got Talent in 2019
Syco / Thames
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Presenters Anthony McPartli and Declan Donnelly at a photo call for Britain’s Got Talent at the London Palladium in 2019
PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Colin Thackery on Britain’s Got Talent TV Show, Series 13 in 2019
Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly attend the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards at The Royal Festival Hall
Dave Benett
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015
ITV
2/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly AKA PJ and Duncan with their hit single ‘Let’s get ready to rumble
3/45
Anthony McPartlin, Cat Deeley and Declan Donnelly on SM:TV in 2000
Rex
4/45
PJ and Duncan (Ant and Dec) in Byker Grove
5/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in theri breakthrough programme Byker Grove
6/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly star in Byker Grove in 2000
BBC
7/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host SM:TV Live in 2000
Rex Features
8/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Cat Deeley presenting Party in the Park
9/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host ‘Friends Like These’ in 2000
BBC
10/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hosts of The Brit Awards in 2001
ITV
11/45
Pop Idol presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly celebrate with Will Young after he won the inaugural series in 2002
PA
12/45
Pop Idol judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox pose with show hosts Ant and Dec in 2003
/PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2003
ITV
14/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in disguise present Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2003
ITV
15/45
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly for Most Popular Entertainment Programme for Saturday Night Takeaway with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, at the 10th Anniversary National Television Awards 2004
16/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
17/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly provide the voices behind CITV’s engaging pre-school animation series Engie Benjy – Dec is the voice
ITV
18/45
Spitting Image puppets mimic Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2006
PA
19/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Britain;ls Got Talent winner Paul Potts in 2007
Rex Features
20/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly laugh backstage at Britain’s Got Talent in 2007
ITV
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Red Or Black with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2011
ITV
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Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at House Festival, Chiswick House & Gardens in 2012
Getty Images
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hosts for ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
ITV
24/45
Anthony McPartlin (L) and Declan Donnelly, winners of Best Entertainment Programme for “Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway”, pose in the winners room at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at Theatre Royal in 2015
Dave Benett
25/45
George Shelley takes part in his final trial, watched by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in 2015
Rex
26/45
Kim Kardashian West, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly attend the BRIT Awards 2015
Dave Benett
27/45
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2016
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Ant vs Dec in Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent presenters Anthony McPartlin, left, and Declan Donnelly arrive for the Blackpool auditions for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ at The Opera House in 2017
Getty Images
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Ant and Dec on stage in Britain’s Got Talent
ITV
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Ant and Dec arrive at Buckingham Palace, London, where the pair will be awarded OBE’s by the Prince of Wales at an Investiture ceremony in 2017
PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway: The Missing Crown Jewels (Part 3) with Michael Sheen in 2017
ITV
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Ant and Dec and their wives Lisa Armstrong and Ali Astall arrive at Buckingham Palace, London, where the pair will be awarded OBE’s by the Prince of Wales at an Investiture ceremony in 2017
PA
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Ant and Dec in the press room with the award for Best Challenge Show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’ at the National Television Awards 2017
PA
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Ant McPartlin (left to right), Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Declan Donnelly attending the Britain’s Got Talent Photocall at the Opera House, Church Street, Blackpool in January 2018
PA
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ in 2017
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Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
ITV
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Britain’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
ITV
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on Britain’s Got Talent in 2019
Syco / Thames
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Presenters Anthony McPartli and Declan Donnelly at a photo call for Britain’s Got Talent at the London Palladium in 2019
PA
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Colin Thackery on Britain’s Got Talent TV Show, Series 13 in 2019
Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly attend the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards at The Royal Festival Hall
Dave Benett
He says: “Our friendship has been tested and we have come through the other end. And I will be forever grateful and thankful for the love we have.
“I thought the public had had enough.
“I just thought I wouldn’t be allowed to do what I love any more, which was a very sad affair.
“But, you know, coming back and just being back on screen and the affection and love and support that people have shown, has been quite overwhelming and very emotional.
“I can’t thank people enough.”
McPartlin appears alongside Donnelly in Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey, where the duo travel across the country, joined by genealogists and historians, as they follow their maternal and paternal bloodlines.
Filming for the programme began in 2017, but was halted during McPartlin’s career hiatus.
The series sees the Saturday Night Takeaway stars, both from Newcastle upon Tyne, journey to Ireland as well as to the US, where they visit the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Their research also unearths evidence that the bones of one of their ancestors were deemed “of historical importance”.
Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey starts on ITV on Sunday November 10 at 9pm.
With additional reporting by Press Association.
