Why is Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ending and could it come back?

The duo will say farewell in a two-hour finale on Saturday night

Ant and Dec will say farewell to ITV's Saturday Night Takeaway as the latest - and possibly last ever - series comes to an end this weekend.

A host of famous faces including Girls Aloud and Holly Willoughby are set to appear in the extended two-hour series finale on Saturday evening. And it could well be the last time we get to watch the popular entertainment show after Ant and Dec previously said they were going to take a 'pause' from the programme.

First launched in 2002, the show went on hiatus for a period in 2009, before returning four years later in 2013. In that time it has won numerous awards and accolades over the years. Ahead of the series finale, Declan Donnelly promised the show would be a 'real celebration of Saturday Night Takeaway over the years' but they were giving it 'a rest' for now.

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“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,” he added.

“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.” Ant Mcpartlin said he could not believe it was nearing the end but that he was looking forward to making the last show “a party to end all parties”.

He added: “The SNT production team have been working non stop to ensure this special, two hour finale has that SNT magic from start to finish.”

Speaking to Fault magazine ahead of the latest series, Ant explained the decision to take a break from the show. He said: “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." He added: "We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now.

“‘Like I say, we’re turning 49, and what do we want to do next? What’s the next phase of our career? And we’ve got lots of ideas and lots of offers on the table, lots of options of things we can do. But it’s working on what we do next and where the next chapter begins.

“So that’s what we’re gonna do when Saturday Night Takeaway is out of the way. We’ll sit down, take a bit of time, and re-evaluate everything.”

Ant married Anne-Marie Corbett in 2021 and it is reported that the pair are expecting their first child together. Ann-Marie also has two teenage daughters from her previous relationship.

Dec meanwhile has been with partner Ali Astall since 2013 - with the pair getting married in 2015. They share two children, five-year-old daughter Isla and 18-month-old Jack.

Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, said: “There’s nothing quite like live event Saturday night TV all the family can enjoy together in the moment – and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, for the past 20 series, has been at the very forefront of this genre.

“Over 90% of the UK population has watched Takeaway across the past 20 series and just like the rest of the nation, I couldn’t be more excited for this special final show which promises to be a real celebration.”

Ant and Dec are still expected to work together, with the popular duo hosting a number of other shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win.

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway finale is on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 & ITVX.