Ant McPartlin Going Back To Rehab, Saturday Night Takeaway Cancelled

ITV

Ant McPartlin will be going back to rehab following his recent arrest for drink driving.

His prime time show Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, hosted alongside long-time friend and co-presenter Declan Donnelly, will therefore be cancelled.

Ant’s publicist Simon Jones has released the following statement:

Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.

He has 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.

[ooyala autoplay=”true” player_id=”5df2ff5a35d24237905833bd032cd5d8″ width=”undefined” height=”undefined” pcode=”twa2oyOnjiGwU8-cvdRQbrVTiR2l” code=”Vrd2NxZTE6Pj5L_G9XjNDGAKSvlRZ2rv”]

The TV personality reportedly lost control of his Mini and crashed into another car at a roundabout in Mortlake, south west London.

After failing a roadside breathalyser test, police officers took Ant away for questioning. A witness told The Sun how the 42-year-old presenter appeared to be ‘agitated and argumentative.’

A three-year-old injured in the crash was taken to hospital as a precaution. Ant’s mother and pet dog, Hurley, were both inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said:

Police in Richmond were called to Lower Richmond Road at 15.59hrs following reports of a road traffic collision involving three vehicles.

Officers, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended.

A number of individuals were treated at the scene for minor injuries only. A child passenger from one of the cars has been taken to hospital for a check up as a precaution.

A 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink-driving after failing a roadside breathalyser test.

He has been taken to a south London police station for questioning.

This latest incident comes after a traumatic time for the presenter, who has publicly spoken about his battle with alcohol and prescription drugs addiction.

After spending time in rehab, Ant returned to work in November for his annual appearance on Im a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! The pair even joked about Ant’s rumoured absence from the show.

In January 2018, Ant split from his wife, make-up artist Lisa Armstrong after being married for 11 years. Pressure was reportedly put on the marriage due to Ant’s addiction issues.

While accepted the duo’s 17th TV presenter prize at the National Television Awards, Ant spoke with emotion about the issues he had been experiencing:

I had a very tough summer last summer, I had to face up to a lot of things and my one thing was just getting back to work with my best mate.

If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 for advice and support.

If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58, and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.