Why Ant & Dec’s “Saturday Night Takeaway” Had to End

After two decades of entertaining families across the UK, the beloved ITV show “Saturday Night Takeaway,” hosted by the iconic duo Ant and Dec, is coming to an end. The pair announced that they would be taking a “pause” from the show after the 2024 series, marking its 20th season.

In an interview with Flaunt magazine, Ant McPartlin shared the reason behind their decision: “Part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family. We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.”

Ant and Dec, both 48, have had a busy career since their debut on “Byker Grove” in 1989. In addition to “Saturday Night Takeaway,” they host other popular shows such as “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” and “Limitless Win.”

While this marks the end of “Saturday Night Takeaway” for now, Ant and Dec have expressed their intention to possibly return to the show in the future. In a joint message posted on Instagram in May 2023, they explained: “We’ve decided that our 20th series next year will be our last one for a little while. The show takes up such a lot of our year – we just feel we need a bit of a breather and that the show is going to take a little bit of a rest.”

Declan Donnelly echoed this sentiment, stating: “We’re honoured and touched that for 20 series it’s been part of Saturday night TV viewing for so many families across the country. We’re giving it (and us!) a rest for now, but we’ll take away and treasure some very special memories and moments. We will most certainly miss it.”

A Grand Finale

The final series of “Saturday Night Takeaway” featured iconic segments from the past 20 years, including “Guest Announcers,” “Undercover,” “Guess the Ads,” and “End of the Show Show.” The finale, which aired on April 13, 2024, was an extended two-hour episode filled with special guests and surprises.

With the dynamic duo at the helm, “Saturday Night Takeaway” has been a staple of Saturday night TV, and its impact will be missed.