Desolate Dec skips TV’s big night af ter Ant’s drink drive crash arrest
THEY are usually the life and soul of the party at the annual Royal Television Society awards. But Ant and Dec were notably absent from the red carpet last night, despite two nominations.
The presenting duo attempted to avoid extra attention as Ant McPartlin is investigated over a crash in his Mini on Sunday, after which he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
He has since announced he will return to rehab and step down from all his TV commitments – and it seems Declan Donnelly did not want to attend the awards alone.
Donnelly, 42, was earlier seen looking downcast as he walked in Chiswick, West London, with wife Ali Astall, having said he was ‘devastated’ by McPartlin’s crash.
McPartlin, also 42 – who in January confirmed that he and his wife Lisa were separating after 11 years of marriage – did not leave his home in the suburb yesterday.
On Sunday afternoon he was involved in a collision with two other cars while he was driving his Mini in Richmond, South-West London, and was arrested after allegedly failing a roadside breathalyser test.
He was questioned at a police station and then released while inquiries continue. Police previously confirmed that a number of individuals were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and a child passenger from one of the cars was taken to hospital to be checked as a precaution.
Yesterday, This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield finally mentioned the incident after coming under fire for deliberately ignoring it on Monday’s edition of the ITV daytime show.
The pair, who are close friends of McPartlin, admitted they ‘found it hard’ to address the news.
Schofield said: ‘This is difficult for us, we’re talking about a friend here. Like many people, we are shocked and saddened.
‘Ant has now gone back into treatment, he’s clearly struggling; he loves Dec, he loves his career, he loves the shows that they make together and he loves their fans.’
He added: ‘The overwhelming feeling has to be that no matter who you are, if you get in the car and you’ve had a drink the responsibility is yours.’
Miss Willoughby said: ‘We can’t say much more because the matter is still being investigated. But we want to wish those shaken and upset by the collision a quick recovery and personally for Ant we hope he gets some time and space to return to full health.’
Although attention has been paid to whether McPartlin will be able to save his career, questions have also been asked about what the future holds for Donnelly.
In their 2010 joint autobiography, Ooh! What A Lovely Pair, they wrote that ‘neither one of us would ever be on our own out there’.
And the decision by Donnelly not to attend the RTS awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel will only fuel speculation that he does not favour a solo presenting career.
The duo have won eight RTS awards over the years. Last night Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway was nominated in the best entertainment programme category, but lost out to ITV2’s Love Island. The pair were also up for the entertainment performance award for I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! but were beaten by Channel 4’s The Last Leg.
In their acceptance speech, The Last Leg’s hosts hinted at Ant and Dec’s absence, with Alex Brooker saying: ‘It feels like there’s someone missing’ and Adam Hills responding: ‘I think there’s room for a cheeky comedy duo on TV at the moment.’
ITV has said it will not broadcast this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway. It is understood there is yet to be a decision about Britain’s Got Talent, which is also fronted by Ant and Dec. The talent show’s auditions have already been filmed, with the pair playing a key role, and these will be broadcast as normal. However, it remains to be seen if either will be involved in the live shows, which start broadcasting in May.
In 2016 they reportedly signed a three-year ‘golden handcuffs’ deal with ITV, which was rumoured to be worth £30million and was due to expire at the end of next year.
McPartlin has had a string of personal setbacks over the past year, including entering rehab last year after struggling with an addiction to painkillers following a knee operation in 2015. He returned to TV work in November for I’m A Celebrity.
A statement on behalf of Ant and Dec said: ‘Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments. He has spoken with Dec and ITV and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such, Saturday Night Takeaway will not be going ahead this Saturday.’
‘We’re talking about a friend’