Ant’s arrest casts shadow over Saturday Night Takeaway’s Universal special
ITV is reviewing plans for a grand finale of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway at Universal Orlando Resort following the arrest of Ant MacPartlin on suspicion of drink driving.
MacPartlin, one half of the popular TV duo Ant and Dec, was involved in a collision in south-west London on Sunday and failed a roadside breathalyser test.
ITV said the show will not air this weekend and the final two episodes will not feature McPartlin, who has now gone into treatment.
The final episode was due to be filmed on April 7 at Universal CityWalk.
Virgin Holidays had been due to charter a special Orlando flight for more than 200 viewers of the show who had won tickets.
An ITV spokesman said: "ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec’s team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.
"We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment.
"We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs."
In the last two seasons, the family-friendly show has filmed its live finale in overseas destinations.
Last year it was at Walt Disney World Resort and the year before it was in Barcelona on board P&O Cruises’ Britannia.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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