ITV I’m A Celeb’s Declan Donnelly has secret connection to campmate

As the latest series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here draws to a close this weekend, fans will no doubt be heartbroken to lose out on their daily fix of jungle mayhem which has captivated the nation.

For the past three weeks, fans at home have been treated to plenty of camp drama, grim bushtucker trials and of course some cheeky commentary by show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – but this year, host Dec also had a secret connection to one of the contestants taking part.

The 48 year old star has a surprising link to eliminated camp-mate Nick Pickard, with the pair having known each other for a number of years thanks to some mutual acquaintances.

Here, we take a closer look at that connection…

Long before Geordie born presenter Dec tied the knot with his wife Ali Astall in 2014, the star had previously dated actress Clare Buckfield for a decade between 1993 and 2003, an actress that it turns out had starred alongside Nick’s brother for a number of years on our TV screens!

Clare, 47, is best known to fans for playing Natasha Stevens in CBBC series Grange Hill – but it was her starring role in BBC sitcom 2point4 Children as Jenny Porter which saw her first cross paths with Nick’s brother John Pickard as he too starred on the same show as David Porter, her on-screen sibling.

The show ran for eight years in total between 1991 and 1999, and became a big hit with audiences both in the UK and overseas for it’s irreverent (and often tongue-in-cheek) look at modern family life.

Interestingly, Nick’s brother also starred alongside his famous sibling in Hollyoaks playing the on-screen brother of Nick’s character Tony Hutchinson, who in the soap is named Dominic Reilly.

This little gem of information will no doubt tickle Dec, as his best friend and partner in crime on TV, Ant has long been a huge fan of the Chester soap – and even made the unfortunate faux pas multiple times this series, of calling Nick by his character’s name Tony.

During a task prior to Nick’s elimination, Dec could even be seen quietly muttering the word “Tony” to Ant, as he tried to subtly correct the star for repeatedly using the wrong name when commenting on Nick’s performance in a bush tucker trial – something which appeared to amuse both Dec himself and fans at home.

Nick sadly became the fourth contestant to be eliminated earlier this week, as he followed hot on the heels of Frankie Dettori, Nella Rose and Fred Sirieix who had all seen their jungle crown dreams shattered by the all important public vote.

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here continues every night at 9pm on ITV and ITVX

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