HANDS ON DEC Takeaway’s big stars will substitute for Ant
ITV is pulling out all the stops to support Declan Donnelly as he fronts Saturday Night Takeaway on his own for the first time.
Sidekick Ant McPartlin will be absent as he has checked back into rehab to battle his demons after being charged with drink-driving last week.
It means Dec will host their family entertainment show – one of ITV’s flagship programmes – solo.
But he will have an army of people making sure it continues to be a ratings smash.
Last night Dec tweeted from the ITV studios: “Back in studio today preparing your #SaturdayNightTakeaway for tomorrow night. Have a great Good Friday! D x”
All eyes will be on the Geordie to keep Takeway – which has been drawing weekly viewing figures of more than 8 million – on top. Bosses have drafted in chart topper Paloma Faith to open the show and get the crowd in the party mood with her new single Lullaby. Guest announcer and comedy writer Stephen Merchant will then introduce Dec as the main host for the night. Scriptwriters have been working on how Dec will address the issue that pal Ant – who previously sought help for drug and drink addiction last year – is missing from the show. A source said: “It’s going to be emotional for Dec because Ant is his best mate. “But because of the seriousness of what has happened he can’t obviously make a joke about this. But everyone is rooting for him.” Fellow co-host Scarlett Moffatt – who has often been used for outside broadcasts – will also stay in the TV studio this week to help out. And co-star Stephen Mulhern will pop up too to assist, as well as fronting his In For A Penny game show. The Script are special guests taking part in SingA-Long Live.
Dec will spring a surprise on one unsuspecting audience member, as well as giving more fans the chance to win a prized ticket on the plane to Florida for next week’s Takeaway finale, and find someone to play Win The Ads. But Ant will actually appear on the show tonight. He will pop up in the pre-recorded comedy whodunnit called Saturday Knight Takeaway.
It will show the lads continuing their search for honoured celebrities with OBE and knighthoods who have been mysteriously vanishing. Tonight they track down Joanna Lumley, who went missing in episode one of the skit.
There will be tears too once the cameras stop rolling. Takeaway will be the last show to be filmed at ITV Studios in London before it is pulled down and redeveloped.
For the past 40 years it has been home to shows from all channels, including Upstairs Downstairs, Blind Date, On The Buses, The Graham Norton Show and Alan Carr’s Chatty Man.