It's been a lonely few months for Declan Donnelly who has faced TV shows and award ceremonies solo following his sidekick Ant McPartlin's step away from public life after his arrest in March for drink driving. But thankfully, as he prepared for Monday evening's Britain's Got Talent semi-finals, Dec had a pal in his dressing room, stepping into his old pal Ant's shoes for the evening - his beloved dog Rocky. Sharing a sweet Instagram before going on stage, Dec revealed he wasn't going to get lonely this time, showing fans he had a good pal to cuddle up to as he prepared to go live on air.
Dec's dog Rocky looks blissed out in his cute snap
"Rocky has come to keep me company and show moral support as I’ll be on my own tonight," the cheeky dad-to-be captioned the adorable snap. "Although I’m getting the feeling he’s not as excited about the start of the @bgt semi finals as I am!" he added. Of course fans were quick to respond to the rare social media post, giving the TV favourite all their support, just as they did when he was forced to go solo for the last few Saturday Night Takeaway shows back in April.
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"You’ll smash it Dec. All sausage dog owners are strong resourceful people, we have to be!" enthused one fellow dachshund owner. "Goodluck I’m sure you’ll get on great. Miss ant tho. I wish him all the best too," added another fan, making sure Ant knew his fans were eagerly awaiting his return.
It's been a difficult few months for Ant and Dec, but the public have stood behind the Geordie duo every step of the way. And while Ant's troubles have no doubt impacted not only his professional life, but also his personal life, Dec has also had cause for celebration, with the announcement that he and wife Ali are expecting their first baby. Talking about his exciting impending arrival at the BAFTA TV awards earlier this month, Dec admitted he literally cannot wait to start this happy new chapter of his life.
Fans are eager for Ant and Dec to reunite on screen
The former child star admitted that he found the idea of becoming a dad very "exciting" whilst his wife and talent manager Ali, 40, said she wished she could fast forward to meeting their newborn. "I just wish it would come out now, that we could fast-forward to having the baby. We want to get on with it – we can't wait," she told reporters. The couple also revealed that they don't have all that much time to wait - their bundle of joy is due in September.
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The Saturday Night Takeaway star confirmed the news of his wife's pregnancy to his nearly seven million Twitter followers in late March. "Just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely messages. The news has sneaked out a little earlier than we had hoped but Ali and I are delighted to be expecting our first child. Thanks for all the love, we really appreciate it.D x," he wrote.