Dec Donnelly 'Absolutely Devastated' Ant McPartlin Will Be Taking Time Out

Dec Donnelly is said to be 'absolutely devastated' that he won't be working with his TV presenting partner Ant McPartlin for the foreseeable future, following Ant's high-profile arrest for drink-driving this past weekend.

Dec is said to be gutted after it was confirmed that this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Takeaway will be cancelled in the wake of the crash.

However, it now looks like the pair will be off British television screens for much longer with reports that Ant will now be stepping down from any telly commitments for the rest of the year.

A friend of the pair said, according to the Sun: "This has been a bit of a bombshell for Dec. He's very upset and needs time to make any decisions, which is why this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Takeaway was cancelled.

"ITV understood that the show couldn't go ahead without Dec and that he'll have to make a final decision about what happens."

The news comes after Ant decided to re-enter rehab following reports that he hit two cars in his black Mini sports car while driving home after a walk with his dogs.

Ant has now been released from police custody but the incident will no doubt have a knock-on effect on Saturday Night Takeaway and the TV star's other presenting gigs.

According to the Sun, Ant will now be spending months in a long-term rehab programme and will be likely be away from television for the rest of the year, including his roles on Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity.

Ant is said to have made the decision himself following talks with advisors at his home in West London.

The crash comes as a setback for Ant who famously spent last summer recovering in a rehab programme after admitting an addiction to prescription painkillers, before returning to TV screens last autumn.

While this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Takeaway has been cancelled, the last two episodes of the series are expected to go ahead, as Dec presents the show without his friend for the first time.

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Ant McPartlin, Dec Donnelly

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing before completing his NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. Chris has previously written for the independent culture magazine The Skinny, among other publications.

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