Declan Donnelly has said he is “heartbroken” following the death of his brother, Father Dermott Donnelly, at the age of 55.
Donnelly, who had been a Catholic priest for 30 years – most recently based at St Joseph’s Church in Stanley, County Durham – died peacefully in hospital on Friday afternoon after reportedly collapsing on Thursday evening.
A statement by the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle said: “This has come as a great shock to all of us.”
It said he had suffered a short illness. “Please pray for the repose of his soul and keep his family, especially his mother, in your prayers at this difficult time.”
TV star Declan, 46, wrote on Twitter: “I am heartbroken to tell you that my darling brother Fr Dermott, TweeterPriest, sadly passed away this afternoon. We are all beyond devastated. Thank you for your messages of sympathy and support, they are appreciated DD.”
In April Dermott had been invited by outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson to visit 10 Downing Street along with other religious leaders, to pray for peace in Ukraine.
He said at the time: “It was a moment when the power of vulnerability encountered the vulnerability of power. The best weapon we had was prayer.”
Hexham and Newcastle Bishop Robert Byrne said Donnelly would be “greatly missed in the diocese for his sterling work with youth, on both a diocesan and national level”. He added: “He was a good and faithful priest.”
Dermott was eight years older than his brother Declan, one half of TV presenting duo Ant and Dec, and officiated at his wedding to Ali Astall in Newcastle in 2015.
The brothers and their five siblings were raised on Newcastle’s Cruddas Park estate.
Donnelly was regularly seen in the audience at his brother’s London-based shows, while the presenter frequently travelled to the north-east to attend mass and visit youth programmes organised by his older sibling.
Speaking in 2015 about his relationship with his famous younger brother, Dermott said his connection to a household name helped him bridge the generational divide with young parishioners.
“I don’t advertise that I’m Dec’s brother, but the kids always seem to know. It bridges the gap between me and them.”
Declan Donnelly, who has said he briefly considered a career in the church, began his acting career in the early 90s alongside Ant McPartlin on BBC teen drama Byker Grove. Together, the pair went on to present shows including I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here; Britain’s Got Talent; and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
