Ant without Dec. Dec without Ant. Unthinkable, isn’t it?
They once made a pact never to split up Britain’s best-loved TV double act.
But then Anthony McPartlin’s well-documented inner demons resurfaced at the weekend, as the nation watched the fallout from his drink-drive arrest and return to rehab.
After much soul-searching, Declan Donnelly today agreed to host Saturday Night Takeaway’s remaining two episodes (this weekend’s show is cancelled) without his long-time wingman.
Read more: Ant McPartlin pictured out for the first time since entering rehab programme
It is without question the hardest decision he’s ever had to make. And it’s one that will undoubtedly divide opinion.
But he’s doing the right thing. The right thing for him. The right thing for fans.
The right thing for ITV. The right thing for the hundreds of lucky people given tickets to Orlando, Florida, for the series finale.
And, ultimately, the right thing for “Ant and Dec”. But only, that is, if this truly is a temporary measure.
Beyond that, they’re inseparable, joined at the hip, with a magic you simply can’t recreate. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
It is unimaginable to have a series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! — regularly the duo’s finest work — with one-half missing.
So to Dec I say this. Enjoy the novelty of presenting solo for now. You’re keeping the candle burning.
And to Ant, I say, get well soon. Your wingman needs you. We need you.
Ant without Dec. Dec without Ant. It’s unthinkable.
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