Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are poised to sign a new £30million three-year 'golden handcuffs' contract with ITV. The deal will see the hugely popular TV presenters receive a 20 per cent pay increase from their previous contract, which expires at the end of this year. It will also extend their exclusive relationship with the broadcaster to 18 years.
Ant and Dec, both 40, are considered critical to the success of ITV, and front three of its biggest shows: Britain's Got Talent, Saturday Night Takeaway, and I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. The new deal is expected to be signed before they head off to film the next series of the jungle reality show in Australia in November.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAnt and Dec are set to sign a new £30million three-year deal with ITV
"Let's be honest, it is close," Ant told the Mirror. "We have had people come and discuss stuff with us, but we love ITV and all the programmes we make there and they want us to stay. Before we go to Oz we want to sort it out."
Dec added: "We are not on the dotted line yet but we want to stay and they want us to stay. It will have to be signed before we go to Oz because then we will be at the end of the year, and we are fairly close."
An ITV spokeswomen, meanwhile, said: "We have a fantastic, long-standing relationship with Ant and Dec, and we are of course keen for that to continue well into the future."
© Photo: ITVThe pair, both 40, front three of the biggest entertainment shows on TV
The news of the new contract comes days after the Geordie duo picked up two TV Choice Awards on Monday; Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway won Best Entertainment Programme, and I'm A Celebrity… took home the prize for Best Reality Programme.
Ant and Dec first met on the popular children's show Byker Grove, before forging out a pop career together under their character's names PJ & Duncan. They went on to host a number of shows as a double act, including CD: UK, Pop Idol, Push the Button, Friends Like These, Britain's Got Talent, I'm A Celebrity, and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
The hugely popular stars have also presented the BRIT awards three times, and were awarded OBEs on the Queen's Birthday Honours list earlier this year.
