Declan Donnelly’s anxiety and his mental health battles – what you need to know

Need to be aware

Declan Donnelly, a presenter of Geordie, opened up to Fearne Cotton while on her Happy Place podcast to share his experiences with anxiety and mental health issues.

Everything you need to know about Declan Donnelly’s battle with anxiety…

• Declan Donnelly is known for his bubbly and cheeky personality on the screen for over two decades. With presenting duties on the likes of Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celeb after rising to fame alongside Ant McPartlin on Byker Grove, the British public grew to love his lively side. But he has admitted he has dealt with a silent struggle.
• The 50-year-old Geordie star has made his first public comments regarding his battle with silent health. He acknowledged that he “can never sit down” and that he “constant anxiety” and the feeling that he should always be doing something.
• Dec, who spoke to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast, admitted that she had a “low-level, constant anxiety” about “should be doing this” or “I have to be doing this,” adding that she never felt like I could sit down and watch TV. There is the skepticism that I should be performing a task somewhere.
• He continued, “I struggle with that a lot, with trying to calm that voice in your head that’s saying, “No, you should be using this time more productively.” About five, five, or six years ago, I had therapy. I really enjoyed it a lot. I really enjoyed it.
• Dec made the admission after his best friend Ant said he is “working hard on himself.” After being found guilty of drink driving in 2018, Dec previously praised Ant for turning his life around and making a “better person.” In 2018, Ant was detained for the incident.
• Declan told The Times: “What I most admire is that Ant took responsibility and real action in spite of the challenges he’s faced, especially over the past few years. He continued, “He worked so hard on himself to become a much better person than he was before.”

READ THE FULL REPORT: Declan Donnelly admits silent health struggle and ‘voices in his head’