Declan Donnelly was shocked to discover wrestling legend Dixie Carter is his cousin.
The 44-year-old TV presenter received the news that he shares a four-times great-grandfather with the former \'Impact Wrestling\' President on his and co-host Ant McPartlin\'s ITV documentary \'Ant & Dec\'s DNA Journey\', during which the presenting duo discovered they are related to each other because they carry the S660 DNA marker.
The long-lost cousins finally met in Ireland, where they instantly got along.
Declan Donnelly Overcome with Emotion Reading Heartfelt Letter to Younger Self About Partner Ant McPartlin
Speaking in their two-part series, Dec told Ant: "It feels weird. You kind of have this immediate connection with them."
Dixie, 55, responded to the big reveal on Twitter, writing: "Yes! Declan Donnelly is my cousin! He\'s absolutely charming, handsome, witty, kind...everything you would hope. Adore him! And of course, Ant too! Be sure and tune in TOMORROW night to the finale of #AntAndDecsDNAJourney @antanddec #cousinlove #family @ITV 9 pm (sic)"
And Dec joked he could ditch his sidekick to team up with Dixie on a new US-based show.
He quipped: "She\'s got a lot of connections and networks in the US, she was talking about maybe doing a family style show out there ... \'Dixie and Dec\'."
Ant went into rehab in 2018 after being convicted of drink-driving, and Dec has admitted he was "angry" and "disappointed" by the ordeal because he couldn\'t believe Ant hadn\'t come to him for help.
Speaking in their new documentary, he said: "It has been a tough couple of years and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13 years old. 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."
Dec was then asked if he thought he might lose Ant, and the TV star admitted he was "filled with fear" at the thought of no longer having his pal by his side.
He said: "Yes. There was a point where I thought that that was it. There were times where I wasn\'t sure it was going to survive. Times where you didn\'t know it needed to survive or you wanted it to survive.
"All the while he was away I wasn\'t sure where his head was at or if he was going to say, \'None of this is for me.\'
"I didn\'t know what he wanted to do and for the first time in 30 years I had to think about what I was going to do and if I was going to go out on my own. The thought of that filled me with fear."
2 July 2026 - 6:56 AM
