Ant and Dec on ‘bittersweet’ decision to ‘step off the hamster wheel’ and end 20-year TV run

‘It feels like the right thing’

Ant and Dec previously opened up about their decision to end Saturday Night Takeaway.

Since shooting to fame, the Geordie duo have become TV’s go-to presenting duo.

From hosting Britain’s Got Talent to their own Saturday Night Takeaway show, Ant and Dec have kept busy over the years. The lads are bad on screens this weekend too, for the I’m A Celebrity Coming Out show on Saturday (December 14).

But back in 2023, the boys left fans gutted when they confirmed they were taking a break from Saturday Night Takeaway.

Ant and Dec sad on Saturday Night Takeaway
The TV stars have taken a break from the ITV show (Credit: ITV)

Ant and Dec on taking a break from SNT

The Geordie duo hosted their final episode of Saturday Night Takeaway in April 2024 after more than two decades on air. Fans were gutted when Ant and Dec announced they would be taking a break from the show after its 20th series.

And it turns out their decision to end things was down to the pair now having families of their own.

Dec is married to Ali Astall and is a dad of two. Ant meanwhile, recently became a dad for the first time with wife Anne-Marie Corbett – who gave birth to their baby boy Wilder in May earlier this year.

Ant and Dec laughing on Saturday Night Takeaway

The pair previously opened up about ending the show after 20 years (Credit: ITV)

Ant and Dec ‘want to step off the hamster wheel’

Speaking to The Independent in February ahead of their final SNT episode, Ant and Dec opened up on why they stopped the show.

“It was a tough decision to put Takeaway on hiatus, but they were on the same page,” Dec said, before he added: “Twenty series just feels like a natural point to pause. We don’t want to say we’ll never do it again. But we’ve both got families now. Our lives have changed dramatically. We want to step off the hamster wheel, catch our breath and decide what’s next.”

Ant then described it as “bittersweet” but admitted “it feels like the right thing”.

SNT’s final episode

In April 2024, Ant and Dec hosted their final Saturday Night Takeaway show for a while. In an emotional end to the show, Dec tearfully said: “We have truly adored every second making this show.

“But there’s one thing we have never ever forgotten. That’s the fact it’s not our show, it’s your show. So we’d like to say a thank you to you, our audience.”

I’m A Celebrity… Get me Out of Here! Coming Out airs on Saturday (December 14) at 9:35pm on ITV1.

 

YouTube video player
Do you miss Saturday Night Takeaway on screens? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page

Related Posts

EMERGENCY: THE DARKEST SECRETS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED! The silence is finally SHATTERED! As the explosive hearings for Rupert Lowe’s “Rape Gang Inquiry” kick off in London, a terrifying truth is emerging. For years, the screams of victims were ignored, and the truth was buried deep within expensive, hidden court files. But now, the curtain is being ripped wide open, and some very powerful people are SHAKING! Why has the truth been kept behind a “paywall” for so long? Why were public authorities allowed to turn a blind eye while innocent lives were destroyed? Rupert Lowe is making a move that the establishment DREADS: he’s demanding that EVERY court transcript be made FREE for the public! Is the system hiding evidence of its own massive failures? This isn’t just an inquiry; it’s a war for justice that the “Über Elite” never wanted you to join. THEY CAN NO LONGER HIDE. Sign the urgent petition and click the link below to see the chilling testimonies they tried to suppress for decades!

EMERGENCY: THE DARKEST SECRETS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED! Hearings Begin for Rupert Lowe’s “Rape Gang Inquiry” in London as Public Petition Gains…

JUST WANT TO LIVE…” — Bob Mortimer Has Moved Fans To Tears With A Raw, Quietly Brave Confession About Life After His Triple Heart Bypass, Admitting He’s Gently Defying Doctors’ Orders Because Fear Has Already Taken Enough From Him. Speaking With Heartbreaking Honesty, Bob Revealed The Nights Filled With Anxiety, The Moments He Cried Alone, And The Decision That Changed Everything: “I Realised I Didn’t Want To Survive — I Wanted To Live.” Rather Than Letting Worry Steal The Time He Has Left, He’s Choosing Joy, Laughter, And Meaning Wherever He Can Find It. Fans Say His Words Feel Less Like An Interview And More Like A Farewell Letter — Tender, Human, And Devastatingly Real — A Reminder That Even Comedy’s Brightest Souls Carry Quiet Battles The World Never Sees.

Bob Mortimer has made a brutally honest confession about life after his emergency triple heart bypass — and it’s left fans both shocked and strangely moved The 66-year-old comedian,…

Unraveled by Chaos: 41 Hotels Set Ablaze Amidst UK’s Explosive Anti-Migrant Riots—Is Britain’s Immigration Strategy Crumbling Under the Weight of Public Fury and Political Division? Discover the Unfolding Crisis Fueling Fear and Unrest Across the Nation!

Breaking news: In an unprecedented surge of violence across the UK, 41 hotels housing migrants have erupted in flames amid escalating anti-migrant riots. Chaotic clashes between masked…

TEN MILLION POUNDS AND OUT ANT MCPARTLIN TURNS HIS BACK ON LONDON LIFE SS

TEN MILLION POUNDS AND OUT ANT MCPARTLIN TURNS HIS BACK ON LONDON LIFE Ant McPartlin has declared: ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here!’ as he quits…

THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATUM: MAL’S D.E.A.D.L.Y OBSESSION PUSHES DEV TO THE EDGE! SS

THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATUM: MAL’S D.E.A.D.L.Y OBSESSION PUSHES DEV TO THE EDGE! Bernie was left rattled in tonight’s Coronation Street (Friday, January 30) as she pleaded with Mal…

THE END OF AN ERA ON THE COBBLES: ALAN HALSALL BREAKS HIS SILENCE! SS

THE END OF AN ERA ON THE COBBLES: ALAN HALSALL BREAKS HIS SILENCE! Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall responds as co-star’s exit for new role confirmed The actor…