The line-up for next weekend's Saturday Night Takeaway has been revealed, in what will be the first show that Declan Donnelly presents without his co-host Ant McPartlin. Actor Stephen Merchant will join the show as the Star Guest Announcer, while Paloma Faith will take to the stage during the End Of The Show Show segment.
The Script will feature in Singalong Live! while Stephen Mulhern's In For A Penny In For A Grand segment will take the TV star to Warrington, where he will help members of the public win cash. More lucky people will also get to win a Place On The Plane to Orlando, Florida in the series finale.
© Photo: RexTakeaway will resume on Easter weekend
Following Ant's drink-driving arrest and charge, ITV announced that Takeaway would not air this weekend. It will return for the last two episodes on Easter weekend, Saturday 31 March, and the following weekend, on Saturday 7 April. Dec, 42, recently clarified that the show-stopping finale in Florida will still go ahead as planned.
MORE: Scarlett to co-host Takeaway with Dec?
In a statement, the TV star confirmed: "Whilst I never thought I'd be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration we've decided that the remaining two shows of this series of Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead." He continued: "We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that. Everyone at ITV and the Takeaway team feels we owe it to the audience to complete the series. Dec x."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThis will be the first time Dec presents Takeaway solo
ITV confirmed that Dec will present the last two episodes solo, and that Ant will not return to host Britain's Got Talent this spring as he will still be in rehab. The question of whether he will be well enough to present I'm a Celebrity later this year still remains to be answered.
MORE: Ant's wife Lisa Armstrong shows support for 'devastated' Dec
On Sunday, Ant was involved in a horrific three-vehicle road collision in Richmond. After failing a breathalyser test, he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to a police station. Ant returned home, but the following day made the decision to re-enter rehab for treatment. On Wednesday, he was officially charged with drink-driving and will appear in court in April.
