Dec’s world turned upside down when a surprising DNA discovery linked him to a famous American cousin.

Declan Donnelly has discovered he has a famous American cousin. (Image: Getty)

Ant and Dec’s fans were surprised to learn about Declan Donnelly’s celebrity cousin during an episode of their show, Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey. In this episode, Dec uncovered a familial link to a well-known figure in the United States, who is related to him through his father’s lineage, specifically sharing a four-times great-grandfather. The show’s team successfully traced their ancestral connection, leading to the reunion of the two cousins for the first time in Ireland.

“It feels weird, you immediately have this kind of connection with them,” Dec said after the meeting. Dec was left in shock when he discovered he had more than 12 cousins he didn’t know existed, and some of them were almost as well off as him.

Dixie looked fabulous in a fruit printed dress while meeting her British cousin Dec. (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Dixie Carter, a famous figure in wrestling, was disclosed to be Dec’s distant cousin, and they met during the series. She had been active in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling for several years before taking on the role of a ‘storyline character’ in 2010. Prior to meeting her, Dec viewed footage of her being slammed through a table in the wrestling ring.

While Dec and Ant were in the US conducting research for the show, they received news of Dec’s DNA match before he went to meet his cousin Meg and her husband Greg. This couple, previously unknown to Dec, provided him with a helicopter for travel and welcomed him with a large banner displayed on their lawn.

Meg said: “We have the same great, great grandparents.”

She added: “I have a little surprise for you, I have a few of your cousins here.”

More than a dozen people entered the room, leaving Dec at a loss for words. He said, “Oh wow, this is amazing! I’m really emotional. Oh my goodness. Nice to meet you all. This is quite overwhelming!”

Afterwards, Dec met another cousin, Tom, who was a firefighter in Manhattan on duty during 9/11. Later in the program, an emotional story about Ant’s family history was revealed, particularly concerning his grandmother, Kitty. She was from Ireland, and Ant’s family was unaware of her life before she moved to England from Fermoy, County Cork, at the age of 12.

Ant discovered that his great-grandmother, Kitty’s mother, had died of tuberculosis. Unfortunately, because it was deemed shameful at the time, records of her death were concealed.