ANT and Dec have quit Saturday Night Takeaway.
The Geordie duo began hosting the weekly variety show – which features a mix of segments including games, and celebrity performances – on ITV1 in 2002 and have gone on to win a slew of awards including NTAs and BAFTAs for their work but they have now decided that the show’s 2024 run will be its last outing for the time being.
In a video posted to Twitter on Thursday evening, Ant said: “Hi everyone, we’ve got some news for you. Next year, in 2024, it will be our 20th series of ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ and we’ve got some very exciting new items.”
Dec – who also hosts other hit ITV1 series ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ with his long-time screen partner – explained that they both “need a bit of a rest” amid their other ongoing work commitments.
Dec added: “And we’ve also decided that our 20th series next year will be our last one for a little while. The show takes up such a lot of our year, we just feel that we need a little bit of a breather and have a little bit of a rest.”
Ant and Dec – who initially found fame on ‘Byker Grove’ in the late 1980s – first fronted the show from 2002 until 2009 when the show went on hiatus and since its 2013 return, they have been joined by a string of co-presenters over the years including the likes of ‘Gogglebox’ star Scarlett Moffatt, magician Stephen Mulhern and Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo.
In 2021, the show – which relies heavily on participation from its studio audience – went virtual in order to allow the interaction to continue.
