Declan Donnelly gave New Year’s Eve revellers a surprise performance as he took to the microphone at a pub near Newcastle to sing Billy Joel‘s Piano Man.

The television presenter, 48, rang in 2024 at The Bagder in Ponteland, Northumberland and took it upon himself to entertain delighted punters with local band The Optics who were booked for a gig at the boozer on Sunday.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host Dec belted out the 1973 ballad, looking at the lyrics on his phone which included: ‘Now John at the bar is a friend of mine… He gets me my drinks for free…’

Sharing a clip of Dec singing on The Optics’ Instagram page, band member Drew Conley wrote: ‘What a way to end the year.’

Limitless Win host Dec took partygoers back to his mother Annie’s house after the pub so they could continue enjoying their night.

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Declan Donnelly gave New Year’s Eve revellers a surprise performance as he took to the microphone at a pub near Newcastle to sing Billy Joel’s Piano Man

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The television presenter, 48, rang in 2024 at The Bagder in Ponteland, Northumberland and took it upon himself to entertain delighted punters with local band The Optics (Dec pictured in 2018)

According to The Sun, one punter said: ‘Dec was in on New Year’s Eve with his family. They seemed to be having a great time.

‘He is such a lovely person. Exactly like he is on TV.

‘It was a fantastic atmosphere.

‘He comes here a lot. His sister also comes. You could actually say Dec is a regular and he often sings on New Year’s Eve.’

Dec grew up in a three-bedroomed council house with his parents and six siblings.

After rising to fame, he offered to by his mother a bigger house but she has insisted on remaining in the property.

Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win is set to make a dramatic return to screens this week, with one lucky pair walking away with the biggest cash prize in the show’s history this series.

Audiences can expect more drama, tension and wins than ever before but it’s the staggering £1million prize nabbed by one team which is sure to grab viewers’ attention.

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I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host Dec belted out the 1973 ballad, looking at the lyrics on his phone

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Dec took partygoers back to his mother Annie’s house after the pub so they could continue enjoying their night (The Bagder in Ponteland, Northumberland pictured)

The pair joked that there were ‘a lot of accountants around the studio looking even greyer than normal’ when a pair competing on the new series climbed the Limitless Ladder to earn the seven-figure sum.

Limitless Win sees pairs answer questions in exchange for lives before taking on a money ladder that never ends, giving them the chance to win the biggest jackpot on TV.

And I’m A Celeb presenters Ant and Dec say the show’s third season sees contestants bring their A game and win big, to the thrill of the duo, who couldn’t hold back their excitement during filming.

When asked if they were any closer to bankrupting ITV, Ant replied: ‘In a word… yes.

‘We’ve had more people climb up the ladder than ever before and this series sees the biggest win in the show’s history. Can I say that?’

Dec added: ‘I think you just did. There were a lot of accountants around the studio looking even greyer than normal.’

Since the launch of Ant and Dec’s gameshow in 2022, Limitless Win has seen contestants bank big money, with Katherine and Will from series one earning a life-changing £500,000 during their episode.

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Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win is to make a dramatic return to screens next week, with a new preview clip confirming a lucky pair walks away with the biggest prize in the show’s history

But the upcoming series sees a couple double the current record, ending their appearance by winning £1million.

Excitement among the contestants and live studio audience was shared by the hosts, with Ant admitting he got in trouble for jumping on the desks during one of the games.

Dec said: ‘Oh, absolutely, we get so carried away. We’re just so invested in every couple that play the game. You can’t help but become emotional for them during each game.’

Ant added: ‘In fact, I actually jumped on the desk this series’ before Dec interjected: ‘You got told off for that didn’t you… All will be revealed. But you did nearly break the desk.’

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Hosts Ant and Dec claimed they nearly left ITV ‘bankrupt’ after lucky contestants on their gameshow Limitless Win won £1million, the biggest prize in the show’s history