Ant McPartlin is set to appear in court to face his drink driving charge. The 42-year-old Britain's Got Talent host is due at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday 16 April. He is expected to plead guilty following his arrest last month after failing a breathalyser test. Ant was originally scheduled to appear in court on 4 April, however, his hearing was adjourned. It's not known exactly why Ant's court date was postponed – but it has been reported that the judges agreed to delay the hearing to give Ant more time to complete the 'intensive' phase of his rehab. If found guilty, Ant could face up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Ant McPartlin is due to appear in court following his arrest for drink driving
Following his arrest, Ant's publicist confirmed that the star would be taking time off from his TV commitments "for the foreseeable future" and would be seeking further treatment. Ant was absent for the final two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway, with co-host Declan Donnelly taking the reins, and will not appear in the upcoming live episodes of Britain's Got Talent. It is not yet known whether he will return to TV in time to host I'm A Celebrity later on this year.
STORY: Simon Cowell on Ant's split from Lisa Armstrong: 'It was a tiny bit awkward'
Ant's Britain's Got Talent co-star Simon Cowell recently opened up about his long-time friend, telling the Sun that he believes Ant will come back stronger than ever. "We’ve known each other a long time, and you stand by the people you work with over the years, for the obvious reasons," he said. "We always stand by our friends. We're all human."