Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent host Declan Donnelly‘s brother has died after being taken to hospital with a ‘mysterious illness’.
Dermott Donnelly, a much-loved Roman Catholic priest based in the family’s northeast, was treated at North Durham hospital after he collapsed in his Newcastle parish.
It is clear that Donnelly, 55, was “extremely unwell” following the incident, which urged parishioners to pray for his well-being at their next congregation.
The news of his death was confirmed in a statement released Friday afternoon by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle which wrote: ‘It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Father Dermott Donnelly, who died peacefully this afternoon in the hospital died.
“This is a great shock to all of us.
“Please pray for the peace of his soul and keep his family, especially his mother, in your prayers at this difficult time.
“Funeral arrangements follow when they are final.”
Tragic: The star’s younger brother – a Roman Catholic priest – is ‘extremely unwell’ and hospitalized after collapsing in a ‘sudden’ incident
Dermott was a regular visitor to his brother’s traditional London-based shows, while the presenter regularly travels to the North East to attend Mass and visit the youth projects that have been a labor of love for the priest since the 1990s.
Following his hospitalization, the statement from the Catholic parishes of Stanley, Dipton & Byermoor read: ‘Please pray for Father Dermott who is extremely unwell at the hospital.
“Tomorrow evening between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM there will be a time for the Blessed Sacrament so that we can gather as a community in St. Joseph’s Church to pray for Father Dermott’s well-being.
“Please be respectful to Father Dermott and his family at this difficult time, we will update you as soon as we receive the most up-to-date information verified by the diocese.”
A source told The sun: ‘Dec arrived with other relatives. There are about 12 in the hospital. It was very sudden and everyone just prays he makes it.”
A statement from the Catholic parishes of Stanley, Dipton & Byermoor read: ‘Please pray for Father Dermott who is extremely unwell in hospital’
Support: Dermott, 55, described as ‘seriously ill’ as his congregation gathers to pray for him
The priest had started out as a chaplain in Chester-le-Street until two years later he was asked by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle to set up a youth program to introduce underprivileged young people to the Catholic Church.
He transformed the Youth Ministry Team into a thriving corporation and in 2010 he launched the Global Youth Village Center at a former holiday camp in County Durham.
Over a period of 30 years he has continued to raise money for youth work, build the Emmaus Youth Village and develop youth leaders around the world.
Speaking in 2015, Dermott admitted that his connection to the well-known name Dec is helping him bridge the generation gap with young parishioners.
He said, “I’m not advertising that I’m Dec’s brother, but the kids always seem to know. It bridges the gap between me and them.’
As late as April, he visited outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street, where he joined religious leaders including His Excellency the Papal Nuncio and His Eminence the Cardinal and members of the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Church in the UK to pray for peace in war-torn Ukraine.
He said at the time: ‘It was a real privilege to stand and pray together with Christian leaders from many churches in Downing Street, the silence was so deep.
“It was a moment when the strength of vulnerability met the vulnerability of power. The best weapon we had was prayer.’
A source told The Sun: “Dec arrived with other family members. There are about 12 in the hospital’
Brothers: Dec, who is eight years younger than his big brother, has previously spoken about his close relationship with his brother
Dec is one of seven children and grew up on the Cruddas Park estate in Newcastle with three brothers – Martin, Eamonn and Dermott – and three sisters – Camelia, Patricia and Moira.
The millionaire presenter has been able to buy his mother a £600,000 house in the posh Darras Hall area of Ponteland, near Newcastle, which is home to former England football captain Alan Shearer.
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Connection: Dermott is a regular at his brother’s shows, while Declan regularly travels to the Northeast to attend Mass and visit the youth projects that have been a labor of love for Dermott since the 1990s