Declan Donnelly's major crush on Ashley Roberts after steamy encounter on I'm A Celeb

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway co-host Declan Donnelly is a happily married dad-of-two.

But before he settled down with his wife and manager, Ali Astall, the 48-year-old is said to have had a major crush on a former I'm A Celebrity campmate after a very sauce exchange during a Bushtucker Trial.

The celeb in question was former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts who sent host Dec's pulse soaring back in 2012 with her consistent chatter about how much she was craving sex.

The pair are now said to be reuniting during tonight's last ever episode of Saturday Night Takeaway which Dec hosts alongside his best friend and co-star, Ant McPartlin, the Mirror reports.

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway's two hour grand finale is set to feature an array of star-studded guests including Ashley as well as a top performance from an iconic girl band with the Geordie duo ended their popular ITV series with a bang before its hiatus.

Declan will be reunited with Ashley on the final show after the dad-of-two became hot and bothered by Ashley's candid sex confessions.

She told Dec and his side-kick, Ant at the time: "You're deprived of everything here in the jungle. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm excited to get out of here and be able to just stimulate all the senses – if you know what I mean."

A red cheeked Dec struggled to find the right words in his response as he said: "Oh my gosh. Everything I want to say is unbroadcastable or illegal – or career-ending. Let's calm down."

Clearly smitten, Dec even mocked up a skit pretending to invite Ashley to be his date to the wrap party as she said she was equally keen to "get to know him better".

She added: "It would be nice to go for a drink and a chat",.

Ashley landed a presenting role on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway two months later and in March 2013, the pair were seen outrageously flirting with one another at the TRIC Awards.

Soon after, Ashley coyly admitted they were in contact: "We're trying to keep it out of the public eye. We're just getting to know each other. We're having fun, but I'm single."

However, Ashley made sure she gushed over Ant too as she said at the time: "We’re having fun, but I’m single. I love both those guys."

However, Dec and the Pussycat Doll star's flirty connection fizzled out and by August that same year, Dec was linked to his now wife Ali.

When Dec and Ali's new relationship hit headlines, Ashley insisted there was no hard feelings between them.

In fact, she was one of the first to congratulate the I'm A Celeb host when he proposed to Ali in November 2014 and she was even invited to the couple's Newcastle wedding in August 2015.

Ahead of the nuptials, Ashley said: "I'm happy for him and Ali. They're great. He's such a good friend of mine. I want him to be happy."

Ashley told the Mirror at the time: "I got to see both the boys, it was Ant's birthday while I was there and I got to say congratulations to Declan. I'm happy for him."

The singer is not the only famous figure who Dec has dated in the past.

The ITV presenter was previously in an 11-year relationship with Two Point Four Children actress Clare Buckfield which ended in 2003 after Dec was accused of cheating with a lapdancer.

He later claimed they'd become more like brother and sister and was said to have enjoyed a passionate snog with TV babe Sarah Cawood at the 2004 I'm A Celebrity after-party.

A source told Digital Spy at the time: "They were knocking back the booze and chatting intimately in a corner, then Sarah went to the toilet.

"When she came out they just started kissing each other. Quite a few people saw them and it became the talk of the night. They are such nice people that everyone hopes they make the arrangement more permanent."

Dec was also previously linked to dancer Kate Braithwaite and Sky Sports presenter Diana Stewart, who dated England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson for three years.

In 2009, he also had a two-year romance with presenter Georgie Thompson which apparently ended over his reluctance to commit.

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