While this weekend’s episode of ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ was pulled from the schedules as a result, Dec has now issued a statement to say he will return on 31 March to present the remaining two episodes of the series without Ant by his side.
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Dec will present the rest of 'Saturday Night Takeaway' without Ant
ITV
“Whilst I never thought I’d be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration we’ve decided that the remaining two shows of this series of ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ will go ahead,” he said.
“We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that.
“Everyone at ITV and the ‘Takeaway’ team feels we owe it to the audience to complete the series.”
An ITV spokesperson added: “ITV can confirm that Saturday Night Takeaway, presented by Declan Donnelly, will return on March 31, and the series finale will be taking place at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida a week later.”
However, ITV has not confirmed if he will be joined by a new co-host, or will present the show alone.
Meanwhile, it still remains unclear what ITV has planned for the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ live shows, which Ant was due to present with Dec in May. Auditions for the upcoming series were already filmed earlier in the year.
The pair had previously vowed one would never work without the other, revealing details of a pact in their 2010 autobiography, ‘Oh What A Lovely Pair’.
Ant said: “We made an agreement – whatever happened, we’d be mates forever and neither one of us would ever be on our own out there.
“If it all ended tomorrow, we’d still speak ever day, we’d still see each other all the time and we’d still be best mates,” Ant wrote. “And that’s something we’re both very proud of.”
Ant was released under investigation in the early hours of Monday morning (19 March), after crashing his Mini into two other cars in Richmond, south west London on Sunday.
The star has had a difficult year after spending two months in a rehabilitation facility for an addiction to prescription painkillers last summer, following a botched knee operation.
In January, he also announced his split from wife of 11 years, Lisa Armstrong.
Ant and Dec Through The Years
(01 of17)
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Ant and Dec, aka PJ and Duncan, in 1994. (Photo credit: Getty)
(02 of17)
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British pop duo PJ and Duncan instore at HMV in 1994. (Photo credit: PA)
(03 of17)
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Ant and Dec, aka PJ and Duncan, in 1994. (Photo credit: PA/Jez C Self/EMPICS Entertainment)
(04 of17)
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Ant and Dec larking about with Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie in 1996. (Photo credit: PA)
(05 of17)
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Pop duo PJ & Duncan in the studio in 1996 (Photo credit: PA)
(06 of17)
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PJ and Duncan in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1996. (Photo credit: PA)
(07 of17)
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Ant and Dec celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Byker Grove with fellow stars in 1998. (Photo credit: Rex Features)
(08 of17)
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Ant and Dec with Cat Deeley in 1998, co-hosts of SMTV://Live. (Photo credit: PA)
(09 of17)
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Anthony McPartlin (left), and Declan Donnelly, Ant & Dec, with their Most Popular entertainment Presenter awards at the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002. (Photo credit: PA)
(10 of17)
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Pop Idol presenters Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right) celebrate with Will Young from Hungerford, Berkshire, at the Fountain Studios in London, after he was voted Britain's Pop Idol in 2002. (Photo credit: PA)
(11 of17)
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Pop Idol judges (from left) Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox, pose with show hosts Ant and Dec (Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly) during a press conference at Thames TV in London, to launch a new series of Pop Idol in 2003. (Photo credit: PA)
(12 of17)
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pose with the awards for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality and Best Comedy Entertainment Programme for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in the Awards Room at the 'British Comedy Awards 2004' on December 22, 2004 at London Television Studios in London. (Photo credit: Claire Greenway/Getty Images)
(13 of17)
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Ant and Dec as The Ugly Sisters in Madame Tussauds Celebrity Pantomime in 2005. (Photo credit: PA)
(14 of17)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right) with the Entertainment Performance award received for I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! at the BAFTA television awards at the London Palladium in 2010. (Photo credit: PA)
(15 of17)
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Ant and Dec take part in the 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!' Bush Tucker Trial 'Greasy Spoon', in November 2011. (Photo credit: Rex Features)
(16 of17)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly arriving for the 2012 NTA Awards at the O2, Greenwich, London. (Photo credit: PA)
(17 of17)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly with their awards for Entertainment Presenter, backstage at the National Television Awards 2012 at the Greenwich Arena London. (Photo credit: PA)