Ant and Dec, the iconic duo made the decision not to host “The Ultimate Magician”, a Britain’s Got Talent spinoff.
Their story began on the set of a CBBC show named Byker Grove where they met for the first time. They were just 13 years old when they met each and became best friends after the encounter.
The characters they played in the show, PJ and Duncan were friends which helped their bond and become inseparable. The duo has been together ever since its first show and has hosted lots of programs and shows together throughout the years.
From the very beginning, they have appeared on shows as a pair and people loved their humor and jokes. So, their fans were devastated when they decided to separate. As both of them were occupied with other activities, the duo decided not to continue.
Quick Facts: Ant and Dec
| Ant’s Full Name | Anthony McPartlin |
| Dec’s Full Name | Declan Donnelly |
| Ant’s Birth Date | 1975 November 18 |
| Dec’s Birth Date | 1975 September 25 |
| Show | Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway |
| Genre | Stand-up Comedy |
| Occupation | TV presenters, Actors, Comedians |
What Happened To Ant & Dec?
Ant and Dec took a break from their hectic lives after one of the duo was involved in a car crash.
The duo was supposed to host the show named The Ultimate Magician, however, both of them caught Covid-19 and had to pull out of the show as well as other commitments they made to recover.
Anthony and his ex-wife, Lisa Armstrong made a public announcement of splitting up in January 2018. They took a hiatus in 2019 after he was convicted of drunk driving in 2018 April at age 44. He also went to rehab for the second time for his alcohol addiction. He wanted to leave the public limelight and took a brief break.
Ant’s conviction took a toll on the duo and they have not been together in shows since 2018. Dec was angry at him when he heard about the accident and the arrest of his best friend. He even thought about splitting the duo up for good.
He was arrested for drinking and driving after he failed the breathalyzer test in a road accident in Richmond. He took it as a sign to go back to rehab and took a year or so off from his upcoming shows to recover. He had to cancel shows like Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celebrity to join rehab.
Are They Separated?
The iconic duo returned after a three-year break with their own show, “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway”. They did not know whether they would work together again after the huge drunk driving scandal.
The duo had been together since 1990 and made every decision together since day 1. So, to determine their future to stay together or split was a hard decision to make. They had long discussions with their friends and family and came to the conclusion that they did not want to split and work together.
During their break, Dec had thoughts about splitting up for good and Ant knew that he was disappointed in him but he wanted to focus on getting better in the rehab first.
While they shot the ITV show Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey, they patched up their misunderstandings and mended their relationship. At the start of their journey, they claim that they were on autopilot and took each other for granted. They had a deep meaningful conversation with each other and their friends and family and came to the realization of how much they loved their bond and decided to keep working together.
The break the best friends took was essential to determine their future. Fans loved their jokes and humor as well as loved seeing them together in shows so they have been awaiting the iconic duo’s comeback.
Finally, the long-awaited duo that the fans have been waiting for is back with the show “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway”. The program returned with its eighteenth series on 19 February 2022 after being on a hiatus since 2018 and is expected to have a nineteen series in 2023.
Ant and Dec Career
The pair Ant and Dec came to being on the set of the CBBC show, Byker Grove where they met for the first time. They were 13 years old when they met and became best friends ever since they met.
Their TV show character PJ and Duncan were friends and soon had a close bond. In 1993, they signed a record contract and they had 14 top-20 hits in the span of four years. They won an award for the Ant and Dec Show shown on BBC in1996 which helped to increase their fame as a duo. Throughout the years the duo has been seen hosting various game shows and programs and also won many awards for increasing their fame and success.
In 2000, they won Best Children’s Entertainment Programme. They won the National Television Award for the first time in 2001 and have won the title continuously ever since 2001. They have hosted some well-known shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, I’m a Celebrity, and many more.
They have been together ever since their first show Byker Grove. Even after taking a break for some years, they have decided to remain a duo and had the most awaited comeback in Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.