Television bosses have confirmed Ant McPartlin will be returning to our screens ‘when he is well and fit enough’.
ITV Chief Executive Carolyn McCall confirmed the presenter will make a return to the channel, but is under no pressure to rush his recovery.
McCall made the announcement during an interview with ITV news, where she spoke out about the presenter and the troubles he has faced recently following his arrest for drink-driving earlier this year.
When asked whether Ant will be seen back on telly any time soon, she insisted he will be, though did not say when, according to The Sun.
She said:
He will come back when he’s well and and when he is ready to come back.
ITV will not be putting him under any pressure to come back unless he’s well and fit enough to come back.
And when asked if he will be returning to the channel, McCall said:
As far as I know, that is true.
In March this year, Ant was charged with drink-driving after an incident which caused minor injuries to himself and resulted in a three-year-old girl being hospitalised. It is understood he was twice the legal limit.
The presenter was arrested at the scene of the accident after he failed to pass a breathalyser test. He later spent a month in rehab, undergoing intensive treatment.
A statement released by Ant’s publicist in the immediate aftermath of his crash, read:
Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.
He’s spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future.
As such Saturday Night Takeaway will not be going ahead this Saturday.
His drink-driving conviction could have resulted in up to six months in prison, a driving ban of at least a year and an unlimited fine.
Following the crash, McPartlin was charged with drink-driving, fined £86,000, and banned from driving for 20 months.
Hojol Uddin, Partner and Head of Motoring at UK law firm JMW Solicitors, one of the leading experts in motoring offences in England and Wales, spoke to UNILAD about the trial.
He said:
The fact that Ant has pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity and actively sought treatment prior to going to court will have been viewed favourably by the judge, with a reduction in the fine imposed.
More recently, Ant has revealed a brand new tattoo, marking his new found sobriety and road to recovery.
The 42-year-old TV veteran showed off his powerful new inking during a night out with new girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett.
On his left wrist, is an Alcoholics Anonymous symbol which helps members to ‘stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.’
The symbol is said to represent the three sides of addiction – physical, mental and spiritual, along with three things to help overcome it – unity, recovery and service.
If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 for advice and support.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.