Ant McPartlin dotes on pal Declan Donnelly’s ‘beautiful’ daughter Isla as the proud dad reveals the two-year-old calls him ‘Dec Dec’ in candid chat
They’ve been close pals since working together on Byker Grove in the 1990s.
And Ant McPartlin, 44, showed he was every inch the proud ‘uncle’ as he doted on Declan Donnelly’s two-year-old daughter during a candid radio chat on Monday.
During the interview, Dec also sweetly revealed that little Isla calls him ‘Dec Dec’ after his wife Ali Astall, 42, taught the youngster to say ‘daddy Dec’.
Close pals: Ant McPartlin showed he was every inch the proud uncle as he doted on Declan Donnelly’s two-year-old daughter Isla during a candid radio chat on Monday
While chatting on Steve and Karen’s Breakfast Show on TFM, the duo discussed Isla and how Ant gets stuck in with the fun when he visits.
Ant said: ‘I haven’t done a nappy. I was round yours the other day. We were doing a lot of playing in the garden – she’s absolutely beautiful.’
Also during the show, Dec revealed his little girl had started speaking and had recently learned how to say his name.
‘She has just turned two a couple of weeks ago, running around and talking – we are getting words out of her,’ he said.
Oh baby! Dec announced his and Ali’s little girl Isla had been born on Instagram, saying he was already ‘head over heels’ for his daughter
The proud dad then revealed: ‘My wife has taught her to say daddy Dec, she just shouts Dec, Dec.’
However the doting father added that he’s not been a fan of changing little Isla’s nappies, joking that it’s ‘a whole new world’.
He said: ‘I take her near Ali and say “I think she’s done a poo, you better go and check”, but you do everything it takes to avoid doing a nappy.’
Ant, who was taking a hiatus from presenting at the time after a stint in rehab, was one of the first people to visit baby Isla after she was born in September 2018.
Congratulations: Ant was quick to congratulate Dec after Isla was born in September 2018
A source told The Sun: ‘Ant couldn’t wait to see Dec and Ali – and baby Isla of course. It’s a dream come true for them all and everyone is completely besotted.’
The star also congratulated his friend, tweeting: ‘Welcome to the world, baby Isla Elizabeth Anne. Can’t wait for cuddles. I love you already! Uncle Ant xxxxx’.
Since then Dec, Ali and Isla have often been seen with Ant and his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett. He was previously married to Lisa Armstrong but announced they had split in January 2018.
Fabulous duo: Since appearing together on Byker Grove in the 1990s Ant and Dec have gone on to become TV favourites with presenting gigs on I’m A Celeb and Britain’s Got Talent