Ant & Dec have confirmed that they plan to take a break from their hit series Saturday Night Takeaway at the end of 2024.
The show's nineteenth series aired earlier in the year from February to April and included guests like Rylan and Alison Hammond alongside Busted, Diversity and the West End cast of Frozen. The series, which has previously been on hiatus between 2009 and 2013, will return in 2024 for its twentieth series before coming off air for a while.
The show also had a mini-hiatus back in 2019 following its fifteenth series, with some fans being concerned that it had been cancelled.
Speaking about stepping back, presenter Ant McPartlin said: "We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath."
His co-host, Declan Donnelly, added: "We still have a momentous 20th series to look forward to first so we will do our best to go out (for now) with a bang in 2024!"
© Kieron McCarron/ITV/ShutterstockConfirming that the show would eventually return, Kevin Lygo, the managing director of media and entertainment at ITV said: "When you think of Saturday night television you think of Saturday Night Takeaway.
"Over 20 series the show has become a cultural phenomenon, and while we eagerly anticipate what Ant & Dec have up their sleeves for the 2024 series, we completely understand their desire to take a pause, take stock, and think about what the next incarnation of the show might look like."
The pair are currently on our screens with the current series of Britain's Got Talent, which is currently airing the auditions.
Fans have seen plenty of talented acts take to the stage with six out of the eight golden buzzers already having been pressed, sending plenty of dance groups and singers through to the semi-finals.
© Kieron McCarron/ITV/ShutterstockThe pair also recently finished presenting I'm a Celebrity South Africa, which saw former series runner-up Myleene Klass crowned as the first-ever 'I'm a Celebrity Legend'.
Myleene's win came after she took on dancer Jordan Banjo in the final trial of the show, which involved eating a number of gruesome dishes. After scoring the most points, the mum-of-two was then announced as this year's winner.
Historically the I'm A Celebrity final has been broadcast live, but this year's result has been pre-recorded. Back in September 2022, Ant and Dec revealed that they'd touched down in South Africa for the spin-off series. As a result, the winner's identity has been kept top secret for months, with all contestants remaining tight-lipped.
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