Ant and Dec are all set to stun Saturday Night Takeaway fans with one last action-packed episode.
Yet, the hosting duo, both 48, admitted leaving the iconic show was far from an easy decision, as they discussed their emotional farewell during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning.
Chatting to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on the final extravaganza, the pair explained it felt like ‘the right time’ to leave the iconic show ‘on a high’.
Praising its 22 years of broadcasting, Dec said: ‘When we first came to the decision to rest it – and we did it because 20 series feels like a good time to do it – we told our management first.
‘We said, “We want to rest it but we reserve the right between now and then to change our minds several time,” and we have. But I think we know in our heart of hearts it’s the right thing to do.’
Ant and Dec are all set to stun Saturday Night Takeaway fans with one last stunning celebs-filled episode
Yet, the hosting duo, both 48, admitted leaving the iconic show was far from an easy choice, as they discussed their emotional farewell during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning.
Ant agreed echoing: ‘For the show and for us personally, it’s the right thing at the right time.’
While teasing a slew of hotly-anticipated surprises for the grand finale, the Geordie duo admitted they remain unsure if the show will ever be back on screen.
But there’s no reason to despair, as Ant and Dec ensured make an unforgettable legendary exit for the upcoming two-hour episode.
It will feature celebrity guests like Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Craig David, and Alison Hammond on its billing.
But there’s more to it, as also pop group Girls Aloud will appear as guest announcers, as well as super sized Singalong with S-Club, Tony Hadley and Kaiser Chiefs and show favourite Ring my Bell.
Cherishing their memories on the show, Ant said: ‘You want to make sure that you get enough new stuff in and fun stuff in so it’s not just all a look back.
‘We don’t know when the show will be back and we don’t know if we will ever do Ant versus Dec again, so whoever wins is the ultimate!’, Dec added.
The presenting pair also admitted there will be ‘tears’ once the show has wrapped, and that it has been ‘quite hard’ in the final days before broadcasting.
Dec said: ‘We said ‘We want to rest it but we reserve the right between now and then to change our minds several times. And we have. But I think we know in our heart of hearts it’s the right thing to do’
While teasing a slew of hotly-anticipated surprises for the grand finale, the Geordie duo admitted they remain unsure if the show will ever be back on screen
It will feature celebrity guests like Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Craig David, and Alison Hammond on its billing (hosts Alison and Dermot pictured)
Ant said: ‘I’m sure there will be tears. It’s been quite hard this week knowing it’s the final week in rehearsals and script meetings and everything.
‘We’ve kind of kept a lid on it until now. Until we got here and saw the stage, we thought, oh, it seems quite final.’
Andi Peters will present his final SNT competition while Jordan North, Josie Gibson and Scarlett Moffatt will be bringing joy to unsuspecting members of the public.
Last year Ant and Dec announced they’d quit Saturday Night Takeaway ahead of the 20th series, shocking their fans across the nation.
The pair will continue their exclusive working relationship with ITV, hosting hit shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win, all of which air across ITV1 and ITVX.
Ant said at the time: ‘We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath.’
Dec added: ‘We still have a momentous 20th series to look forward to first so we will do our best to go out (for now) with a bang in 2024!’
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, produced by Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios) and Mitre Studios, will return next year for its 20th series.
The series has spawned numerous iconic segments, including Win the Ads, Undercover, Get Out Of Me Ear, The End of Show Show and the Happiest Minute of the Week.
The most recent series launched in February with ITV1’s biggest overnight audience of the year, attracting 6.4 million viewers, and the biggest entertainment audience across any channel.
The show’s combination of live, high energy, feel good fun has seen the format achieve multiple BAFTA and National Television Awards since launching in 2002.
Girls Aloud will serve as the star guest announcers during the episode ahead of their upcoming tour
The show’s combination of live, high energy, feel good fun has seen the format achieve multiple BAFTA and National Television Awards since launching in 2002
Kevin Lygo, ITV Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, said: ‘When you think of Saturday night television you think of Saturday Night Takeaway.
‘Over 20 series the show has become a cultural phenomenon, and while we eagerly anticipate what Ant & Dec have up their sleeves for the 2024 series, we completely understand their desire to take a pause, take stock, and think about what the next incarnation of the show might look like.’
Ant and Dec – who initially found fame on Byker Grove in the late 1980s – first fronted the show from 2002 until 2009 and then again from 2013 when it returned.
