BGT ‘happy to have Dec without Ant’
HE was so anxious about presenting his first show without his sidekick Ant McPartlin he hardly slept.
But Declan Donnelly’s solo performance on Saturday Night Takeaway was so seamless he will reportedly host Britain’s Got Talent by himself this summer.
Ant and Dec have presented the talent competition since its inception 11 years ago. But that run was ended when McPartlin withdrew after his drink-driving arrest last month.
Now, following Saturday’s show, which was watched by 7.2million viewers, ITV bosses and BGT creator Simon Cowell have hailed his performance.
A source at the channel told The Sun: ‘After last weekend the feeling is very much that Dec should take on BGT alone too, he did a brilliant job.
‘The bosses at ITV loved him and want him back on screens as soon as possible, and Simon Cowell totally agrees that he’s the best man for the job, rather than bringing in a new face. It was obviously strange for viewers seeing him alone at first but he took everything in his stride like a total pro.
‘That’s not to say people didn’t miss Ant, but the overwhelming response was that Dec was fantastic solo, too.’
Donnelly, 42, had not appeared on TV without his friend since they met on the set of Byker Grove nearly 30 years ago.
He will present the series finale of the Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend from the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida.