Ant McPartlin WILL appear on Saturday Night Takeaway

ANT MCPARTLIN may have stepped down from hosting Saturday Night Takeaway after his recent run-in with the law, but it’s been announced that he will in fact appear in a sketch that airs this weekend.

Last weekend’s ITV show was cancelled after the TV star was involved in a drink-driving collision and he subsequently said he was taking a break from all his commitments as he faces charges and a return to rehab.

Despite this, however, a pre-recorded skit featuring McPartlin and an illustrious line-up of Michael Sheen, David Walliams, Joanna Lumley and Emilia Fox was clearly considered too good — or perhaps too costly given the talent involved — to ditch.

The sketch, titled Saturday Knight Takeaway, has been described as a whodunnit and is set to run in two installments over the final two shows, after some soul-searching by TV bosses about whether to include it.

An insider said: ‘Saturday Knight Takeaway will continue in this week’s show and conclude during the series finale on Saturday 7th April.’

Ant’s co-host Declan Donnelly, 42 — who recently confirmed he is going to be a first-time dad — is expected to present the final two episodes alone, while McPartlin is due to appear in court on April 4.

Author: Anna Thomson