Ant McPartlin will NOT return this year, leaving Dec on his own for I'm a Celebrity

9 August 2018, 15:22 | Updated: 23 October 2018, 12:49

Ant McPartlin has confirmed that he will not be making his comeback on TV in 2018.

The presenter announced today (August 9) that he will delay his return until some point in 2019.

This means that his presenting partner Declan Donnelly will likely host I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on his own for the first time when it returns in November.

Meanwhile, Ant & Dec have confirmed that Saturday Night Takeaway will not return next year, as it would usually require them to start filming in the coming weeks. It will instead return in 2020.

Ant said: "My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off."

He continued: "I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year."

Dec added: "Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision. 

"I’m looking forward to us both being reunited on screen in 2019."

Ant went to court in April following a collision with two other vehicles earlier this year. He was fined £86,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after pleading guilty to being twice the legal drink drive limit.

He said at the time: "I just want to say I'm truly sorry for what happened. Higher standards are expected of me – I expect them of myself."

Dec hosted the last two episodes of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and all of this year's Britain's Got Talent live shows on his own.