Britain's Got Talent: Dec to present live shows solo, ITV confirms

Declan Donnelly will present Britain's Got Talent live shows solo, ITV has said.
Ant and DecAnt and Dec
Ant and Dec

The presenter, 42, will continue without on-screen partner Ant McPartlin, who has stepped down from his TV commitments for now, the channel said.

McPartlin, 42, missed the final two episodes of his and Donnelly's Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway last month after being charged with drink driving.

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He will feature in the show's audition stages which begin this weekend and were recorded in January.

Ant and DecAnt and Dec
Ant and Dec

The move was confirmed by ITV on Tuesday, which sent McPartlin "all our love" and added they knew Donnelly will do a "brilliant job".

"Dec will be hosting the live shows which for the first time ever are coming from the Hammersmith Apollo while Ant steps down from his TV commitments for now," they added.

It comes days after Dec presented the finale of Saturday Night Takeaway alone, which he said had been "tinged with sadness" due to the absence of his TV partner of almost 30 years.

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McPartlin was charged by postal requisition on March 21 after allegedly being involved in a collision with two other cars while he was driving his Mini in Richmond, west London, on March 18.

Ant and DecAnt and Dec
Ant and Dec

The TV presenter was due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on April 4, but the hearing was adjourned to April 16, a spokeswoman for the court said.

After he was charged, ITV announced that Donnelly would go on to present the final two episodes of the latest series of the duo's programme Saturday Night Takeaway on his own.

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