Ant McPartlin has made an emotional return to Britain's Got Talent after almost a year away from the limelight.

He was reunited with his long-time on-screen partner Declan Donnelly for the first day of auditions at the London Palladium.

On Twitter before the show, the pair posted a photo captioned: "#BGT 2019. Audition day 1. The boys are back in town!"

It comes after McPartlin stepped away from his TV work in March last year following a drink-driving charge, leaving Donnelly to front the Britain's Got Talent live shows alone.

#BGT 2019.

Audition day 1.

The boys are back in town! pic.twitter.com/3SzTU5uLQH — antanddec (@antanddec) January 18, 2019

McPartlin also missed the most recent series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - with Holly Willoughby taking his place.


Introducing the first audition show on Friday, Donnelly told the audience: "We've got the judges back, the golden buzzer is back, and someone else is back. My co-host for the series, would you please welcome... Mr Ant McPartlin."

McPartlin, 43, appeared on stage and said: "Hello everyone. Oh God, I'm really, really emotional now. I've missed you all."

He then turned to his co-host, also 43, and said: "As for you, I've missed you. Thank you very much, what a warm welcome. What a great show to come back to, I'm thrilled, I'm over the moon. Shall we move on before I cry?"

Image: Simon Cowell said McPartlin had rejoined his 'family'

The audience cheered as the presenters hugged.

Simon Cowell, the show's head judge, said: "Ant welcome back. We missed you; it wasn't the same.

"I mean even though Dec was brilliant, it still wasn't the same. It would be like me not being with David [Walliams], I would be happy, but not happy - if that makes sense. So on behalf of all of us, welcome back, we're family."

Following McPartlin's drink-driving charge, he was banned from driving for 20 months and fined £86,000.

He was driving while more than twice the legal limit.