ANT MCPARTLIN HAS announced he will not return to presenting television shows until next year.

McPartlin had taken time off work after being charged with drink-driving earlier this year. He had been involved in a collision with two other cars in London in March.

The following month McPartlin pleaded guilty to driving more than twice over the legal alcohol limit. He was banned from driving for 20 months and received a fine of £86,000 (€99,500). He said he was “truly sorry” for his actions.

In a statement issued today, he said will not present I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in November this year.

In addition, he and his co-presenter Declan Donnelly have made the joint decision not to present a new series of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in spring 2019.

Production and filming for a Saturday Night Takeaway series in February would normally have already started, and continue throughout 2018 and early 2019, the statement said.

Neither Ant & Dec nor ITV wanted to compromise the quality of the show and therefore felt it was better to rest the series next year. They will instead bring the show back in 2020, bigger and better than ever.

Recovery 

McPartlin said his recovery is “going very well and for that to continue … I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off”.

“I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.”

Donnelly added: “Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision.”

ITV’s Director of Television Kevin Lygo said the station is “completely supportive of Ant taking as much time as he needs in his recovery”.

“An announcement on I’m A Celebrity plans will be made in due course,” he added.