He may have missed half of the 2018 series of Britain’s Got Talent, along with his presenting duties on I’m a Celebrity, but his boss Simon Cowell said it felt like Ant McPartlin had never left the ITV show when he resumed filming in January. The popular presenter pulled out of the last series’ live shows to go into rehab, leaving Declan Donnelly to present solo, but now he has returned Simon feels Ant is happier than ever.
Speaking to Dan Wootton on Lorraine, Simon said: "It’s like it never happened. That’s when you know it’s comfortable because it’s like we’re all back together again, we are friends. These things happen, I really did miss him. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him in a long, long time."
Simon Cowell said it is as if Ant's break from Britain's Got Talent never happened
Ant’s return to television is set to air on ITV on Saturday evening, with the Geordie presenter finally reunited with his long-term co-star and best friend, Dec. And while the pair’s working relationship appears to be back on track, Dec recently admitted he had been angry with Ant following his arrest in March 2018.
WATCH: Ant and Dec reunite in BGT trailer
Asked whether he had considered forging a solo career, Dec told The Guardian’s Weekend magazine: “I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. Of course I thought about it. Ant went away, and he had a lot of work to do on himself. He had a lot of thinking to do.”
Get to know more about Ant and Dec
However, he concluded that the best thing for them to do would be to continue as Ant and Dec. "Ultimately, the number one thing I wanted to happen was that Ant came back and he was healthy and happy, and we got our relationship back on track and we carried on. That’s the thing that makes me the happiest, working together," Dec said.
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