Ant McPartlin has revealed what he really thought of his I'm a Celebrity replacement Holly Willoughby, who stepped in for Ant last series while the TV star was recovering. Speaking to The Sun, Ant admitted that he found it too difficult to watch the show and has only seen "bits" of the series. But he praised his close friend Holly, calling her "fantastic".
"They've done a great job. I thought Holly was fantastic," Ant said. "I thought she was a real tonic for the show. I knew she'd be a success. The line-up was brilliant." The popular presenter went on to explain that he and his best friend Declan Donnelly knew they would have to call in a replacement as I'm a Celebrity is "a two-hander comedy show".
"I thought Holly was fantastic," Ant said
Speaking of their choice, Holly, Ant said: "She is the perfect replacement. She's a friend. She offers a completely different dynamic to what Dec and I have had in the past. She's gorgeous to look at. She's funny. I get on really well with her. He gets on really well with her." Ant joked: "It made sense – and she wanted air miles."
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Ant has spent nearly a year off work, after he was charged with drink-driving in spring 2018 following his car crash in Richmond. But the 43-year-old made a comeback on Friday, reprising his co-hosting duties with Dec on Britain's Got Talent. Ant received a warm welcome from Dec, the celebrity judges and the audience at the London Palladium, who were watching the first auditions for the talent competition.
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Head judge Simon Cowell told Ant: "Ant welcome back. We missed you; it wasn't the same. I mean even though Dec was brilliant, it still wasn't the same. It would be like me not being with David, I would be happy, but not happy – if that makes sense. So on behalf of all of us, welcome back, we're family. (Turning to the audience) You are family!"
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