DECLAN Donnelly will present ITV's Saturday Night Takeaway alone, as co-host Ant McPartlin returns to rehab following his drink-driving arrest.
It comes after McPartlin, 42, was released under investigation following a three-car crash which injured a three-year-old girl in London on Sunday.
In a statement this afternoon, Dec said: "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.
— antanddec (@antanddec) March 21, 2018
"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. Dec x".
Earlier, an ITV spokesperson confirmed that Declan Donnelly would present Saturday Night Takeaway on his own when the show returns on Saturday, March 31.
They said: "We can confirm that Saturday Night Takeaway, presented by Declan Donnelly, will return to ITV on March 31, and the series finale will be taking place at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida a week later.”
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.
— ITV Press Centre (@itvpresscentre) March 21, 2018
The variety programme, which has only ever been hosted by Ant and Dec, was previously confirmed to have cancelled its next episode on March 24.
On Monday, it was revealed that troubled star Ant – who entered rehab last year for a prescription drugs addiction – would be taking a leave of absence from TV work to return to treatment.
McPartlin’s publicist said in a statement: “Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.
“He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such, Saturday Night Takeaway will not be going ahead this Saturday.”
