Ali Astall Was Declan Donnelly’s Manager for over a Decade before Becoming His Wife

Ali Astall has been Declan Donnelly’s wife since 2015. However, she is a talent manager and had managed her TV presenter and producer husband for over ten years before they married.

Declan Donnelly is not only a producer and TV presenter but also a comedian, actor, and former singer. He was born in England on September 25, 1975, and became famous as a child actor in 1989 when he started his acting career.

He has starred in movies and series such as “Byker Grove,” “Love, Actually,” “Alien Autopsy,” and “One Chance.” During his time in “Byker Grove,” he met Anthony “Ant” McPartlin, and they became a famous presenting duo.

Ali Astall taking a walk on April 7, 2021, in London | Source: Getty Images

The duo worked on shows such as “The Ant & Dec Show,” “Ant and Dec’s Geordie Christmas,” “Ant & Dec Unzipped,” “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway,” “Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey,” and more.

With the growth of McPartlin and Donnelly’s careers as a team, they had a manager Ali Astall. In 2013, Astall and Donnelly started dating and married two years later.

Who Is Declan Donnelly’s Wife, Ali Astall?

Astall was born in Australia on December 18, 1978, and works as a talent manager for James Grant Management. She was her husband’s manager for over a decade before marriage and has managed celebrities like Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby.

Her relationship with her husband put her in the spotlight, but she prefers to live under the media’s radar. However, she occasionally steps out with her husband for events.

Ali Astall heading to 34 restaurant on January 25, 2018, in London | Source: Getty Images

When Did Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall Get Together?

Astall joined her agency in 2002 and soon became Donnelly’s manager. By 2003, he had broken up with his then-girlfriend, Clare Buckfield, and there were rumors that he had begun a relationship with his manager.

At that time, she reportedly lived about 200m down the road from his London home and even joined him and McPartlin when they went on holiday.

However, even though there was a strong attraction between them, a romantic relationship did not work out, but the couple remained friends while she continued to be his manager.

Ali Astall and Declan Donnelly at the Royal Ascot on June 15, 2016, in Ascot | Source: Getty Images

Despite keeping their relationship professional, they always hung out and sometimes went together for dinner on Valentine’s night, as they were both single.

According to close sources, Donnelly soon realized that Astall was the woman he would rather spend the rest of his life with, and by 2013, they started dating officially.

His realization came after he ended his two-year relationship with Sky Sports presenter Georgie Thompson. He and Astall began going on secret dates for months before the media caught wind of their relationship.

Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall at The Prince’s Countryside Fund Raceday on March 29, 2015, in London | Source: Getty Images

According to Astall’s friends, even though a romantic relationship did not happen between her and Donnelly in 2003, she was still in love with him, did not date anyone else, and patiently waited for him.

Her patience paid off, as the presenter wasted no time once they started dating again and proposed to her in November 2014. The couple tied the knot less than a year after they got engaged.

On August 1, 2015, they exchanged vows in front of their family and friends in Newcastle and had their reception in the rural 300-acre estate Matfen Hall.

Does Declan Donnelly Have Kids with Ali Astall?

In March 2018, Declan Donnelly announced that he and Astall were expecting their first child. He took to Twitter to tweet about their good news, and fans immediately sent congratulatory messages.

On September 1, 2018, the presenter tweeted that their baby girl, Isla Elizabeth Anne Donnelly, had been born and the mother and daughter were doing well while he was head over heels.

Ali Astall and Declan Donnelly at The Championships, Wimbledon 2019, on July 12, 2019, in London | Source: Getty Images

Donnelly later revealed that becoming a father opened up another side of himself he did not know existed. He admitted that he did not truly understand how much it would change him because he thought it was as simple as another little person coming to live in their house.

He never realized he could feel such love as he did for his daughter. However, no matter how hard parenting had been, he loved it.

On July 23, 2022, the couple welcomed their second child, a son, Jack Anthony Alphonsus Donnelly. While they were excited about their bundle of joy, it was a bittersweet moment as the presenter’s older brother had passed away earlier in the month.

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