Stephen Mulhern and Scarlett Moffatt will reportedly have ‘expanded’ roles on Saturday Night Takeaway when it returns this weekend without Ant McPartlin.
Ant checked in to rehab last week after being arrested on suspicion of drink driving, resulting in him cancelling his TV commitments until further notice.
The move means his sidekick Dec Donnelly will appear solo for the first time ever when the current series of Takeaway resumes this weekend.
However, he won’t be entirely alone, as a report claims that co-hosts Scarlett Moffatt and Stephen Mulhern will fill in for Ant on some of Takeaway’s regular segments.
According to the Radio Times, Scarlett and Stephen will be in the audience dishing out places on the plane to Florida for next week’s grand finale.
They will also join Dec for the End of the Show Show, headlined by Paloma Faith, which has apparently been tweaked to make it an ‘ensemble’ performance.
Dec will front other features on his own, such as the Win The Ads giveaway.
The news comes after it was revealed that, although he won’t appear live, Ant will still feature on Takeaway this weekend in pre-recorded segments.
Bosses have apparently decided not to cut the comedy whodunnit sketch ‘Saturday Knight Takeaway’, which heavily features Ant, so viewers aren’t left in the dark on how it ends.
Meanwhile, the Radio Times adds that this weekend’s Takeaway will include a farewell tribute to The London Studios, where it is filmed.
It will be the last episode broadcast from the studio complex before it closes permanently as part of a redevelopment of ITV’s South Bank HQ.
The iconic building has featured heavily on Takeaway over the years. It is seen in the opening titles, and has been the backdrop of several Ant vs. Dec challenges.
Saturday Night Takeaway continues this Saturday at 7.00pm on ITV.
