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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Victoria Johns

Declan Donnelly beams as he pushes baby son through Heathrow after landing in UK

Declan Donnelly was all smiles as he arrived in the UK with his family after wrapping up the latest series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

The father-of-two, 47, cut a casual figure in a baseball cap and jeans as he pushed little Jack through Heathrow Airport, having made the epic trip from Australia.

Dec was joined by his daughter Isla, four, and wife Ali Astall, 43, as the family braced themselves for the cold having spent weeks in the sun Down Under.

The Geordie presenter joined a host of campmates, who got back to Blighty today, including Jill Scott, Gina Coadangelo and Seann Walsh.

Dec and Ant McPartlin presented I'm A Celeb from Australia again after a two year break.

The ITV show had to be moved to Gwrych Castle in Wales due to the pandemic, resulting in a loss of viewing figures.

However, the latest series pulled in a bumper harvest with a whopping 11m people watching the final on Sunday.

Ant and Dec have declared I'm A Celebrity 2022 "the best series for years" while admitting the admission of disgraced MP Matt Hancock was "interesting".

Winner Jill Scott also arrived back in the UK (SplashNews.com)

Asked about the series, Ant told the Mirror: "Yeah it was the best for years. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

"A good winner in Jill, she is great isn't she? I think her or Owen, he would have really loved the win, but we were all really happy she won and would have been if it was vice versa."

Dec added: "They were a really great bunch. There was lots of laughs, I love George and Seann and Babatunde and I just thought there was a really lovely bunch this year."

Quizzed about Matt Hancock, he said: "Yeah, well that was an interesting one, wasn't it? Yeah, he did very well in there. Obviously coming third."

Sue Cleaver flew into Manchester (Aaron Parfitt / SplashNews.com)
Gina flew home without Matt Hancock (SplashNews.com)

Asked how he felt about interviewing the disgraced MP, he added: "It was a bit of a different one, but no, not very nervous because, you know, it was all within the context of the show. So yeah, that was really interesting."

Ant would not be drawn on his opinions about MP Hancock, who was paid a reported £400,000.

Mr Hancock chose not to fly home with former aide Gina, after reportedly staying on Down Under to conduct a lucrative interview.

A source told the Mirror: "Discussing Mr Hancock's decision to let Gina fly home solo, a source told the Mirror: "Matt was due to go home on Tuesday afternoon Australian time with lots of the other contestants and Gina.

"But he left her to fly home alone so he could make more money with a big interview."

Mr Hancock is believed to have opted for a later flight and is currently winging his way back to Blighty.

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