Declan Donnelly had to apologise to viewers on Monday night after Britain's Got Talent over-ran on ITV. But it wasn’t BGT fans that he was addressing, rather soap fans, as the over-run meant that Coronation Street was pushed back by five minutes. Avid watchers were keen to see the show, and took to Twitter to have their say. "#BritainGotTalent where's me #Corrie," one asked, while another said: "Corrie was meant to be on at 9PM, not the first time BGT has done this!" Addressing the complaints, Dec said: "Stay tuned for Corrie. It's alighlty later tonight as five past nine so apologies for that."
Dec had to apologise to Corrie fans after BGT over-ran
Earlier in the night, BGT went off air for almost 15 minutes because of the stormy weather across the UK, resulting in Dec having to apologise again. Despite the technical issues, Dec's first solo performance presenting the long-running talent show proved to be a success with fans. Dec at one point even joked about presenting alone, telling the audience and viewers that the show was the same since the last series, saying: "The talent is as good as ever, the judges are the same, and the presenters.. well, probably best not to dwell on that, let's get on with the show."
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Dec came onto the show in spectacular style
Dec later took to Twitter to thank fans for their support, writing: "Thanks for all your lovely messages tonight, it was quite an evening! Looking forward to spending the rest of the week with you all. see you tmrw. Nite! D #bgt." Opening the show in style, Dec came flying down on a circus ring during Diversity's Greatest Showman opening performance. Prior to going on air, Dec had been getting ready in his dressing room with his beloved dog Rocky.
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Sharing a sweet Instagram before going on stage, Dec revealed he wasn't going to get lonely this time, showing fans he had a good pal to cuddle up to as he prepared to go live on air. "Rocky has come to keep me company and show moral support as I’ll be on my own tonight," the cheeky dad-to-be captioned the adorable snap. "Although I’m getting the feeling he’s not as excited about the start of the @bgt semi finals as I am!" he added.
Dec later thanked viewers for their support
It's been a difficult few months for Ant and Dec, but the public have stood behind them every step of the way. And while Ant's troubles have no doubt impacted not only his professional life, but also his personal life, Dec has also had cause for celebration, with the announcement that he and wife Ali, 40, are expecting their first baby. Talking about his exciting impending arrival at the BAFTA TV awards earlier this month, Dec admitted he literally cannot wait to start this happy new chapter of his life.