Declan Donnelly has confessed that he unintentionally broke the law and came close to being arrested after shoplifting at Bridgwater Services on the M5 motorway. Known across the UK for his family-friendly image alongside co-presenter Ant McPartlin, the incident has attracted significant attention.
The mishap occurred as Donnelly and his wife, Ali Astall, were travelling back home to London following a holiday in Cornwall. Stopping at Bridgwater Services for a meal, they visited the Marks & Spencer store on site, where they purchased sandwiches, crisps, and a small sweet treat.
Speaking on the “Hanging Out With Ant And Dec” podcast, Donnelly shared the story: “I nearly got arrested yesterday. I nearly didn’t make it here today. I could have gotten arrested yesterday. I broke the law yesterday.”
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Despite Ant McPartlin’s initial disbelief that the situation was severe enough to warrant arrest, Donnelly explained how the incident unfolded. After adding a “little bang bang chicken” to their items, they proceeded to the self-service checkout. While scanning their items and realising he needed a bag, Donnelly scanned his Sparks loyalty card and placed the purchases in the bag but then left the store without paying.
“I just walked off. I put everything in the bag, bleeped me Sparks card, didn’t pay for anything,” he admitted.
Ant jokingly called him a “thief” and asked when Donnelly realised his error. Donnelly recalled, “As I was tucking into my egg and maple bacon sandwich, I turned to the current Mrs D and said with my mouth full, ‘I haven’t paid for this.'”
Attempting to rectify the mistake, Donnelly tried calling the services but was unable to get through, so he contacted his team for assistance. Given his public profile, he was concerned about potential arrest.
Eventually, his team made contact with Bridgwater Services to explain the situation. They were told, “Thank you for your honesty, but honestly, there’s nothing we can do now, but please make a donation to our charity.”
Donnelly said he complied, donating slightly more than the cost of the sandwiches, and joked about being “slightly out of pocket.” Ant also quipped that Marks & Spencer might no longer sponsor their podcast following the incident.