Declan Donnelly has spoken out about presenting the Britain’s Got Talent live shows without hosting partner Ant McPartlin for the first time.
Read more: Declan’s hilarious duet at the BAFTAs
Ant is currently taking a TV break while he undergoes rehab following his arrest for drink driving earlier this year, meaning Dec will be going it alone once again.
The 42-year-old dad-to-be previously hosted the final episodes of Saturday Night Takeway back in March alone following Ant’s arrest.
And now he’ll be flying solo again as the BGT live finals kick off on ITV on Monday night. Dec told The Sun’s TV Mag that he doesn’t tend to read social media after going live.
He said: “You can’t do anything about live stuff once it’s done.
“At times the criticism stings, but not often. Usually it’s a case of: ‘Look at you with your 11 [Twitter] followers. You’re brave.”
It’s thought that Ant will take his place next to long-term friend and co-host Dec once he’s completed his treatment, but Dec is currently impressing critics by taking the chance to prove he can do the job alone.
He added: “A couple of years ago our management said: ‘Have you considered key man insurance? Because if something were to happen to the other one, your income would probably stop. You’re not going to work on your own.
“We were like: ‘What do you mean, not going to work on our own?!’ Then someone went: ‘No, no… or it’s just for some money to come in while you decide what to do.’ We preferred that version!”
Earlier this week Dec made everyone laugh when This Country star Charlie Cooper shared a video of the TV presenter and Charlie’s sister Daisy May duetting to PJ and Duncan classic Eternal Love.
Charlie found the hilarious clip on his phone after the BAFTAs and shared it on Twitter, amusing fans of his, Daisy and Dec.
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The song was a hit for the presenter and Ant McPartlin back in the Nineties, when they were still known as their Byker Grove characters, PJ and Duncan.
A smiling Dec, 42, gamely sings along to his old track while Charlie can be heard from behind the camera pitching in to repeat some of the lyrics, Ant-style.
Charlie’s fans loved the video, which gained 12k likes and hundreds of comments.
“Brilliant,” said many, while others said it was “hilarious”.
Dec was among the award winners at the posh ceremony too, as Britain’s Got Talent won Best Entertainment Programme.
He attended the ceremony with his pregnant wife Ali Astall, and the excited parents-to-be revealed their first baby will arrive in September.
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