Declan Donnelly will present the show without McPartlin when it returns on 31 March

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The TV presenter Ant McPartlin has been charged with drink-driving after being arrested at the weekend, police have said.

The 42-year-old entertainer is due to appear at Wimbledon magistrates court on 4 April over a collision on Lower Richmond Road, in south-west London, on Sunday.

News of the charge came after it was revealed that Declan Donnelly would host Saturday Night Takeaway without McPartlin when the show returns on 31 March.



An ITV spokesman said: “We can confirm that Saturday Night Takeaway, presented by Declan Donnelly, will return to ITV on March 31, and the series finale will be taking place at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida a week later.”



McPartlin, 42, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving on Sunday and is taking a leave of absence from his TV commitments.

ITV had already said this Saturday’s show, hosted by McPartlin and Donnelly as the TV duo Ant and Dec, would not be aired. The broadcaster has brought forward an episode of The Voice UK to fill the slot.

Donnelly wrote in a statement on the pair’s Twitter account: “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.



“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.”