TV PRESENTER ANTHONY McPartlin is to step down from his presenting duties in the wake of an arrest for alleged drink driving.
McPartlin, one half of duo Ant and Dec together with Declan Donnelly, announced the news via his publicist.
The 42-year-old was involved in a collision with two cars while driving in west London yesterday afternoon which led to his arrest.
“A number of individuals were treated at the scene for minor injuries only,” a spokesperson for the Met Police said yesterday.
“A child passenger from one of the cars has been taken to hospital for a check up as a precaution. A 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink-driving after failing a roadside breathalyser test.”
“Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments,” McPartlin’s publicist said today in a statement to ITV.
“He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future.”
The statement added that next Saturday’s edition of the pair’s Saturday Night Takeaway show will not now go ahead.
The final two editions of the current series may still go ahead without McPartlin.
“We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment,” his publicist said.
We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs.
McPartlin presents a number of high-profile shows on ITV with Donnelly, with whom he has worked in partnership for more than 20 years, including Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here.
The past year has been a troubled one for the Newcastle native. He first entered rehab last year after developing an addiction to painkillers, while earlier this year he announced that he was separating from his wife of 11 years Lisa.
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