Ant and Dec have revealed the reason behind their decision to take a break from their show Saturday Night Takeaway.
The ITV entertainment show returns this Saturday (February 24) for its 20th run, and the presenting duo have decided that this milestone series is a good place to pause the show for now.
But in a new interview with Fault Magazine, Ant and Dec have opened up about why they have made this big career decision.
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Ant said: "On a more personal level, part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family.
"We’ve both got children we need to spend time with for a little bit. We need time to think and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now."
The presenters also spoke about whether or not they have plans for Saturday Night Takeaway to return in the future.
"I feel like it’s a nice time to turn the page," said Ant, "and it will give us time to reflect. You can’t think of a different version of Saturday Night Takeaway while Saturday Night Takeaway is on air. You need to be away from it."
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Dec added: "I think what happened when we took a break last time, we started to miss it. We started coming up with lots of ideas and going, ‘Oh, that would be amazing’. We want to give ourselves that same opportunity this time to miss the show and just see how we feel and where that takes us."
Before the show takes an extended break, Saturday Night Takeaway’s 20th series promises to be a memorable one, with old favourite segments and new surprises that celebrate the much-loved programme.
The first show of the series will feature Stephen Merchant as the Guest Announcer, as well as an ‘Undercover’ with Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell and the introduction of the new Little Ant & Dec who are sure to cause plenty of mischief.
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway will return on Saturday, February 24 at 7pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.
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Soaps Writer, Digital Spy and Inside Soap
After studying for an English degree at the University of Exeter, Erin completed a PPA-accredited Masters in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. She first joined the Digital Spy team in late 2023, writing across both news and features.
Erin is a fan of all things TV, from comedy and drama to reality TV and soaps.
