Declan Donnelly and his wife Ali Astall were recently pictured at a London-based airport ahead of their flight to Australia. The couple, who were also joined by their baby daughter Isla, appeared to be in great spirits as they pulled their luggage out of their taxi - in pictures which were taken on Monday and obtained by MailOnline. At one point, Dec, 44, was seen with a huge smile across his face - no doubt looking forward to the new series of I'm a Celebrity, which returns on 17 November.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAnt and Dec are set to make a return to I'm a Celebrity very soon
The outing comes shortly after Dec admitted that he thought he had "lost" his best friend of 31 years when his co-host Ant McPartlin was arrested for drink-driving last year. In the forthcoming two-part documentary Ant & Dec's DNA Journey, Dec opened up about Ant's troubles, which saw the presenter take a two-year break from television. "It has been a tough couple of years and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13 years old," explained Dec.
MORE: I'm a Celebrity 2019: who's rumoured to appear on this year's show?
"I was incredibly angry at the start, so angry. Disappointed that he didn't ever come to me and say, 'I am struggling, I need you,' because that is what I would do if the shoe was on the other foot. And he never came to me and that hurt me a lot." Ant then turned his life around in the year that has followed his arrest, and immediately suspended all of his television work alongside Dec in order to focus on his rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE
Now, Ant is preparing to film I'm A Celebrity after Holly Willoughby stepped in for him last year. Speaking about his return, Ant revealed: "I can't wait, I love the show and I am chomping at the bit." Dec concluded: "For us it is a exciting time of year and we look forward to this from about May. I keep reading all the rumours about who is going in, it's very exciting."
MORE: Ola Jordan leaves fans surprised with ten-year Strictly Come Dancing throwback
Meanwhile, Dec will no doubt relish having his wife and their one-year-old daughter with him in Australia. Dec, who married Ali in 2015 after a one-year engagement, told The Evening Standard earlier this year that the hard work of fatherhood came as a shock. "No one tells you how hard being a parent is," he confessed. "We could have had a warning! It is literally the hardest thing I've ever done but I'm loving it."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
