Saturday Night Takeaway fans wonder if Ant McPartlin’s rehab stint means show’s prize winners will miss out on trip to Florida
SATURDAY Night Takeaway fans have gone into meltdown wondering if Ant McPartlin's arrest and rehab stint means the show's prize-winners will miss out on their trip to Florida.
The show's finale was scheduled to be broadcast live from Universal Orlando Resort in Florida on Saturday April 7.
Every week, Ant and Dec, both 42, have been seen dishing out tickets to fans to join them in America for the last instalment of the fifth series.
The competition winners are due to fly out on a specially chartered plane and spend seven days in the resort, where the pair will host the entertainment programme.
But after The Sun exclusively revealed how the presenter had been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving on Sunday, a number of fans of the ITV show took to Twitter to share their concern that Ant's latest drama could see competition winners missing out.
A show source said that the people who won a place on the plane would still be jetting to Florida however, and told The Sun Online: "Whatever happens, all the winners will get their holidays."
Ant, who may now face visa issues, was taken into police custody after a three-car crash near Richmond, West London at 4pm on Sunday, less than 24 hours after he had been on air with his Takeaway co-host Declan Donnelly.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: "What about all those people that had tickets to Florida or entered the competition. Gutting if they don't get to go."
While someone else said: "I'm guessing there will be no seat on the plane for Ant to Florida?"
Another asked: "My main question is if Saturday Night Takeaway is cancelled, does everyone still get to go to Florida?"
A fourth added: "All those people that won tickets to Florida will be panicking now."
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It comes after a statement from Ant and Dec's publicist said: "Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments. He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future.
"As such Saturday Night Takeaway will not be going ahead this Saturday."
An ITV spokesman said: "ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec’s team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.
"We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment. We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs."
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