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Ant McPartlin 'gives Declan Donnelly his blessing’ to host Saturday Night Takeaway alone

Friendship: Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Friendship: Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Ant McPartlin has reportedly given his blessing to TV partner Declan Donnelly to host Saturday Night Takeaway on his own.

McPartlin cancelled all of his work commitments for the “foreseeable future” to return to rehab after he crashed his vehicle into two cars in Richmond on Sunday.

He was charged with drink-driving on Wednesday and will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on April 4.

McPartlin has reportedly given Donnelly his support to front their hit TV show alone, with a source telling the Daily Mirror: “Dec wouldn’t go ahead without Ant giving him the OK.

Troubled: Ant McPartlin has been charged with drink driving (PA)
Troubled: Ant McPartlin has been charged with drink driving (PA)

“Because of their previous pact to work together throughout their career.”

Donnelly was pictured heading home after visiting McPartlin following his charging at Kingston Police Station.

The TV presenter, 42, released a statement confirming he will front the final two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway to honour the competition winners who have won a holiday to Orlando, Florida.

He said in a statement: “Whilst I never thought I’d be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration we’ve decided that the remaining two shows of this series of Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead.

Prime time: Scarlett Moffatt with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV)
Prime time: Scarlett Moffatt with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV)

“We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that.

“Everyone at ITV and the Takeaway team feels we owe it to the audience to complete the series.”

An ITV spokesman said: “We can confirm that Saturday Night Takeaway, presented by Declan Donnelly, will return to ITV on March 31, and the series finale will be taking place at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida a week later.”

The pair previously vowed to never fly solo insisting “neither one of us would ever be on our own out there”.

In their 2010 autobiography, Ooh! What A Lovely Pair, Donnelly wrote: “We made an agreement – whatever happened, we’d be mates forever, and neither one of us would ever be on our own out there.”