Now drink-drive antics cost Ant and Dec their £20m car ad deal with Suzuki
SUZUKI has axed its £20million advertising campaign featuring Ant McPartlin after he was charged with drink-driving.
The Japanese car company first struck a deal with the presenter and his on-screen partner Declan Donnelly in 2015.
It included lucrative spots on Saturday Night Takeaway and TV commercials which see the pair driving around and giving away cars to members of the public.
The firm said it ‘recognised the seriousness of McPartlin’s charge’ and it will continue to sponsor the last two episodes of the current Saturday Night Takeaway series but the duo will no longer appear in its ads. Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway has been running since 2002. It is not clear whether there will be a 16th series, or if Suzuki will sponsor any future series.
Yesterday’s development is likely to raise fears over just how badly McPartlin’s crash in South-West London last Sunday will affect the pair’s multi-million pound brand.
McPartlin was charged with drink-driving on Wednesday following the smash which saw his £26,000 Mini collide with two other cars. A three-year-old girl was taken to hospital after the crash and McPartlin will appear in court next month.
Suzuki’s announcement comes after Donnelly confirmed earlier this week that he would host Saturday Night Takeaway alone. Although the next episode has been cancelled, Donnelly announced he will front the two remaining shows by himself, including the live finale in Orlando.
It marks a major move for Ant and Dec, both 42, who have been a double act since the early 1990s and have often vowed that they would never work separately. Donnelly is said to be ‘gutted and devastated’ for his friend of 29 years and worried for the future of their TV partnership.
Ant and Dec are ITV’s most valuable talent asset – 33 of the 50 highest-rated episodes on ITV last year featured the duo.
Tom Harrington, an analyst for Enders Analysis, said McPartlin’s charge would also tarnish Donnelly. He said: ‘You can understand why a car manufacturer might not want to be associated with a show where one of the stars has just crashed into someone, been taken away by the police and arrested for drink-driving.
‘Other advertisers will likely be more cautious and wait and see…what is certain however, is that this won’t just affect Ant, but also Dec. The two are inextricably linked.’
Suzuki said: ‘Suzuki are withdrawing their advertising campaign with Ant & Dec. No further material featuring the duo will be aired and Suzuki’s endorsement deal with the pair has come to an end. As a car brand we recognise the seriousness of Ant’s charge. We completely support Ant’s decision to seek treatment.’