Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly not only work together, but are the best of friends. Following Ant's arrest for drink-driving on Sunday, Dec is said to be understandable devastated by the turn of events, not only for his friend, but about the future of his own career. However, now that Ant has stepped down from his work commitments for the "foreseeable future" to concentrate on his health, the question remains whether Dec will carry on as a solo presenter.
Ant and Dec made a pact to never work solo - but will this now change?
On Wednesday, following the Royal Television Society Awards – which saw Ant and Dec lose out on the two awards they were nominated for – Piers Morgan spoke out about his friends on Good Morning Britain. The TV presenter, who attended the star-studded event with his GMB colleagues, said of Dec: "I think Dec is going through a real crisis himself about what to do career wise. He is devastated for his mate – he is worried that the Ant and Dec brand is being irreparably damaged – it's the second time around." He then suggested: "I think he's got to look after himself too – he's a very successful guy in his own right."
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Suggesting that Ant and Dec break their pact of never working solo, Piers urged Ant to make a statement allowing his friend to go it alone, so that Dec didn’t feel like he was being disloyal. He also said that a lot of Ant's friends have been concerned about him as he "hasn't looked right in a while," but that "the show has to go on".
Ant and Dec as PJ and Duncan in 1995
Ant and Dec, both 42, have worked together for more than 20 years, and are considered the 'golden boys' of British TV. Most recently, they have been appearing in the latest series of Saturday Night Takeaway, which still has two more episodes to air. Following the end of Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent is scheduled to begin – although it is unclear whether Ant will return with the show.
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On Monday afternoon, a rep for Ant and Dec confirmed: "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."