Future of Saturday Night Takeaway clarified after Ant and Dec said goodbye
ITV viewers were on the edge of their seats during the final episode of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which aired last Saturday, April 13, amid swirling rumours about whether it would be the show's last series.
The end of the 2024 series was met with some excitement as the nation's cherished duo confirmed they would be stepping back from the programme for an indefinite period.
Fans were left wondering if and when the popular weekend show might return to their screens, until the hosts dropped the bombshell during Saturday's episode that it was "the last".
Ant and Dec, who said goodbye on their last episode, shared their plans to take a break from the series in a heartfelt message posted on their Instagram account in May 2023.
They revealed their intentions, stating, "After our 20th series next year, we have decided to take a well-deserved hiatus. The show demands a considerable amount of our time, and we feel the need for a breather and for the show to take a rest."
However, this statement caused some bewilderment among the audience, especially following an ITV teaser trailer released before the 2024 series began, which announced that Saturday Night Takeaway would be coming back "one last time". Moreover, various ITV shows have been paying tribute to the programme, including a Good Morning Britain segment on Friday, April 12, titled "Final farewell: Saturday Night Takeaway ends tomorrow".
During the segment, presenter Andi Peters shared some insider info: "I was with the boys [Ant and Dec] yesterday and nerves are beginning to set in this year is a 20-year heritage. I think now they are getting a little bit emotional about what's going to happen come 9pm tomorrow because it's a two-hour extended show, they have taken over the whole of the television centre, and local shops had to shut."
He continued: "That's how big this is going to be and remember it's one of ITV's biggest shows, longest-running formats, and tomorrow's show is... I can't tell you and I know a bit about what's going to be in the show."
So, will fans be treated to another series?
Ant and Dec have hinted at taking a "break", which could mean a comeback later on.
The beloved TV pair tried to explain their decision during an appearance on The One Show with Alex Jones. Dec revealed: "We are going to give the show a little bit of a rest we need a little bit of a rest. We've done it once before back in 2009 and this feels like the right time. We are getting a bit older and we just need a little bit of time off because it's such a year-round thing for us this show so we just need a little bit of a break from it."
One fan questioned whether the dynamic duo would ever consider doing another series of Takeaway, with Ant responding: "Erm, yeah, that's the plan. We want to give it a little rest now and see what shape it takes because you can't think about Saturday Night Takeaway as any other show when you're making it one way. So you need to come off air, have a bit of a rest, and then have that itch again that you need to scratch."
Jumping in afterwards, Dec confirmed: "And that's what we did last time it came off air and changed a bit and the show's different the second time around. We think we just need to have another little pause."
This aligns with ITV's previous statement in their press release prior to the 2024 series, which read: "Last year it was announced the series would be taking a break after this upcoming 20th series (The series previously took a pause in 2009, returning four years later in 2013)."
