Declan Donnelly ‘absolutely devastated’ that he won’t be working with best mate Ant McPartlin
DEC is said to be “absolutely devastated” that he will not be working with Ant for the forseeable future.
A friend of the pair said: “This has been a bit of a bombshell for Dec.
“He’s very upset and needs time to make any decisions, which is why this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway was cancelled.
“ITV understood that the show couldn’t go ahead without Dec and that he’ll have to make a final decision about what happens.”
And and Dec have become TV’s golden pairing — the Morecambe and Wise of their generation.
Their success has won them 37 National Television Awards, including 17 continuous Best Entertainment Presenter gongs.
What we know so far…
- POLICE released Ant on bail pending blood test results and further inquiries into Sunday’s three-car smash
- HE then held talks over his career with advisers at his West London home
- FRIENDS said they fear for his state of mind and admitted he had a huge problem with alcohol
- THE dad of the family whose car Ant hit said: “He could’ve killed us all”
- SATURDAY Night Takeaway’s final two episodes are expected to go ahead without Ant
- THE host will not take part in Britain's Got Talent or I'm A Celebrity
- ANT is set to take a break from TV and head back to rehab
The partnership is also incredibly lucrative, with an exclusive “golden handcuffs” deal with ITV worth a reported £30million over three years.
They started out three decades ago as teenage stars of the BBC children’s TV show Byker Grove.
It sparked a pop career as PJ and Duncan with their breakthrough hit Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble.
The lads are so close that they bought homes in the same West London street and Ant was best man at Dec’s 2015 wedding to manager Ali Astall.
A source said of Ant’s troubles: “Dec is absolutely devastated of course, but he is also incredibly supportive.
“They are much more than co-stars. They’re best friends.”