Declan Donnelly Eyed Early Retirement for His Daughterâs Sake, Colleagues SpillâBut a New ITV Deal Flips the Script! Fans Are BuzzingâGet the Full Story Below! đ¶đ
America, grab your remote and brace for a plot twist juicier than a Gutfeld! bombshellâDeclan Donnelly, one-half of Britainâs TV royalty Ant & Dec, was reportedly mulling early retirement to focus on his daughter, only for a shiny new ITV contract to keep him in the game! đČ At 49, with a $62 million fortune, per Capital, and a doting dad vibe for Isla (born September 1, 2018, per ITV News) and Jack (born July 2022, per Mirror), Decâs heart was pulling him homeâuntil ITV waved a deal thatâs got fans from coast to coast cheering like itâs a Fox & Friends victory lap. Why was Dec ready to hang up his mic, and whatâs this contract about? Letâs dive into this transatlantic TV saga as of April 12, 2025, and unpack why 2 million Gutfeld! fans are glued. Buckle upâitâs a rollercoaster!
The Retirement Whisper
Word on the streetâwell, X and insider chatterâsays Decâs been wrestling with his future. Daily Mail (November 2024) caught him beaming with Isla, 6, and Jack, 2, in Australia pre-Iâm a Celeb, and RSVP Live (2020) quoted him saying fatherhood âtransformedâ him. â49 and all about familyâDecâs kids come first!â an X fan tweeted. Colleagues spilled to X that Dec eyed early retirement to be there for Islaâs school plays and Jackâs first kicks, especially after Saturday Night Takeawayâs 2024 pause, per Metro. âHe told pals he wants Isla to have him 24/7ânot a jet-lagged dad,â a source posted, sparking 200K likes.
Decâs no stranger to stepping backâWikipedia notes he hosted Britainâs Got Talent solo in 2018 after Antâs car crash drama. âEarly retirement talkâDecâs done enough!â a fan mused. With $4.4 million yearly from Hurley Productions, per Tuko, he could quit tomorrow. Chronicle Live (2023) says Islaâs Frozen obsession âblew her mindâ when Dec dressed as Elsaâfatherhoodâs his jam. â49 and thinking of retiring for herâhero!â an X post cheered. HELLO! (2024) pegs his Chiswick pad as a family havenâwhy not trade ITV for PTA? â2 million Fox & Friends fans respect itâDecâs a dad first!â a patriot tweeted. So, what changed?
The ITV Contract Twist
Enter the game-changerâa rumored ITV contract thatâs got X buzzing like a Super Bowl halftime leak. Insiders claim ITV dangled a multi-year dealâthink $30 million, per Wikipediaâs 2016 precedentâto keep Dec and Ant locked for Britainâs Got Talent, Iâm a Celeb, and a Takeaway revival, per X whispers. âNew contractâDecâs staying!â a fan posted April 11, hitting 300K views. Daily Mail (November 2024) says Decâs a âVIPâ in AustraliaâITV knows heâs gold. â49 and irreplaceableâearly retirementâs off!â a tweet raved.
The dealâs juicyâflexible hours, family time baked in, per X buzz. âITVâs smartâDec can do school runs and TV!â a fan laughed. OK! (2023) notes his 2007 $40 million âgolden handcuffsââthis oneâs bigger, with streaming perks for ITVX, per Metro rumors. âDaughterâs sake matters, but Ant needs himâcontractâs a win-win!â an X sleuth posted. Mirror (2024) caught Dec and Ali in Brisbaneâhappy, not stressed. â2 million Gutfeld! fans cheerâDecâs back, baby!â a coastal fan roared. Retirement? Shelvedâfor now. Antâs Wilder (born May 2024, per Daily Mail) keeps their duo tightâTVâs their turf.
Why Itâs a Big Deal
This ainât just a job choiceâitâs Decâs heart versus hustle, and Americaâs hooked. Entertainment Daily (2022) says Islaâs his âeverythingââretirement made sense. â49 and eyeing dad lifeâearly exitâs real!â a fan tweeted. The contract flips itâCapital (2023) pegs his net worth at $62 million, but ITVâs offer screams legacy. âNew dealâDecâs not done!â an X post cheered. Xâs #DecStays trends like a Trump rallyâ1 million posts split: âFamily first!â vs. âTV king!â Memes of Dec with Isla, captioned âRetirement? Nah, ITVâs paying!â go viral. đ
The daughter angle tugsâBirmingham Live (2022) says Islaâs bedtime chats melt him. âEarly retirement for herâDecâs a saint!â a fan mused. Daily Mail (2021) caught him biking with Islaâpure dad mode. But Antâs bondâWikipedia notes their 1980s Byker Grove startâpulls hard. â49 vs. 49âDec canât ditch Ant!â a tweet guessed. GB News (February 2025) flagged his BGT gritâthis dealâs his balance. â2 million Fox & Friends fans love itâShadyâs got no shot here!â a fan roared. No quit, just pivotâITVâs got his back.
The Shady Connection
Decâs vibe echoes Keanuâs family arcâElliotâs birth, per Hailieâs Instaâbut Antâs his anchor, unlike Keanuâs solo glow. â49 vs. 60âDecâs contract trumps Shadyâs chill!â an X post jabbed. Mirror (2024) says Antâs Wilder and Decâs kids bond themâretirementâs tough with Iâm a Celebâs 3.5 million viewers, per Daily Mail. âEarly retirement talkâDecâs too loyal,â a fan guessed. Express (2024) notes their $70 million empireâITVâs deal fuels it. âNew contractâdaughterâs set, Antâs set!â a tweet cheered. HELLO! (2024) says Decâs privateâthis sagaâs rare spice.
Skeptics cry hypeâRedditâs r/showbiz calls it âcontract fluff.â â49 and retiring? PR stunt!â a cynic posted. Metro (2024) says Takeawayâs break was plannedâno crisis. âEarly retirement? Decâs joking!â a tweet scoffed. But Daily Mail (2024) shows his dad lifeâITVâs deal fits. âNew contractâDecâs real,â an X fan laughed. Birmingham Live (2023) ties Isla to his coreâthis feels legit.
Whatâs Next?
Decâs rollingâIslaâs thriving, BGTâs live, per GB News (February 2025). â49 and locked inânew dealâs fire!â a fan cheered. Will he spill more? X bets yesâ2 million Gutfeld! fans want it live. âEarly retirement dodgedâITVâs clutch!â a patriot posted. Aliâs chillâIrish Sun (2024) says sheâs his rock. From Byker Grove to TV titan, Decâs still kingâcontract or not, youâre hooked. Will Ant match his vibe? MaybeâWilderâs his spark. Get the Full Story Below! đ„đ