Ant McPartlin news: Saturday Night Takeaway bosses ‘torn over addressing Ant's absence’
ANT MCPARTLIN will not appear in this evening’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, after seeking rehab following a car accident earlier this month. Ahead of the ITV show’s return, bosses are said to be holding talks about whether to address the Ant and Dec star’s absence at all.
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Ant McPartlin news: Saturday Night Takeaway bosses are said to be "torn" over their decision
Saturday Night Takeaway will return to screens this evening, for the first time since show host Ant was arrested after reportedly failing a road-side breathalyser test earlier this month.
The 42-year-old, who was later charged for drink-driving, took a step back from his commitments to seek rehab treatment following the incident.
This evening, Declan Donnelly will return to host the live show, alongside presenters Scarlett Moffatt and Stephen Mulhern.
However, ahead of the episode, ITV bosses are said to be holding crunch talks about how to address the absence of the Ant and Dec star.
According to The Sun, show chiefs will make their final decision this morning.
Explaining Ant’s absence has been the hardest part of planning.
The publication also claimed that the finalised script could see one of three options, which could include Dec referencing his TV partner being absent from the episode, before making a nod to his arrest a fortnight ago.
They also suggested that the star would not bring up the incident, but send a message of goodwill to his close friend.
Meanwhile, a third possibility could see no mention of the Britain’s Got Talent presenter being a no-show, but a nod to Dec making his first solo appearance.
It came amid reports that bosses were struggling with the decision of whether to bring up the incident during the entertainment series.
“Explaining Ant’s absence has been the hardest part of planning,” a source told The Sun.
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The insider continued: “The bosses are torn in regards to how they can hit the right tone.
“They want to be respectful to people involved in Ant’s car accident, while not bringing down the mood of the show.
“Takeaway is all about having fun and they fear a sombre start may seriously affect the quality of the output.”
It came as Express.co.uk exclusively revealed that Dec is thought to be delivering a heartfelt message of support to his sidekick during the episode.
A show source said: “Dec is very much the solo host tonight - it’s not going to be him and a sidekick.
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“We're all going to miss Ant,” the inside added. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but the show must go on.”
Earlier this week, reality TV star-turned-presenter Scarlett and co-star Stephen were reported to have stepped up their roles to support Dec as he makes his solo debut for the final two episodes of the series.
According to reports by The Sun, it has been said that they will head into the audience as they give out the final few seats on their Virgin flight to Orlando, Florida.
Express.co.uk has contacted representatives for Saturday Night Takeaway and Scarlett Moffatt asking for comment.
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway returns tonight on ITV at 7pm.