Yahoo News Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway returns after being pulled from schedule
Fans were upset when the last episode of the ITV show was postponed
Saturday Night Takeaway fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Ant and Dec’s show is back this weekend.
The ITV entertainment favourite was taken off the schedule last week to make way for Six Nations rugby, disappointing viewers. But it is back with a bang this weekend (23 March) in an instalment that will feature Maya Jama, Paul Rudd and McFly.
Love Island host Jama will be the guest announcer while McFly will be the music guests. Rudd will meet Little Ant and Dec, the cheeky ‘mini me’ children who chat to celebs on the show, and the episode will see the return of Takeaway classic What's Next?
Presenters Ant and Dec will also share a video of a hilarious prank they played on unsuspecting shoppers at a supermarket.
Watch: Ant and Dec play trick on shoppers
The current series of Saturday Night Takeaway is the last for a while, as Ant and Dec are resting it after 20 series.
They announced the break last year and later opened up about their decision on This Morning, with Dec explaining that it felt like “the right time” to pause the programme and saying that his wife Ali and Ant's wife Anne-Marie would like them at home for a bit. “We did it once in 2009, we gave the show a bit of a rest, and we reimagined the show, we brought it back bigger and better, and that’s what we are thinking this time,” he said.
He explained that making Saturday Night Takeaway was a year-long thing for the presenters, adding: “It’s really tiring and we've got a lot of other stuff on and our wives want us home for a little bit!”
Saturday Night Takeaway fans were upset about rugby decision
Viewers had been miffed about the decision to pull Saturday Night Takeaway, with some posting messages on social media asking why sports took precedence.
"Ridiculous, why is the rugby on a Saturday night prime time?!?!?!" one said on X. "I'm sure more people will want to watch Takeaway over the f****** rugby!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT ON, RUGBY YOU WILL PAY," posted someone else.
Another fan wrote: "Actually so sad that Saturday Night Takeaway isn’t on tonight. After a long hard day working hospitality I was excited to get home and watch it... Why the hell would I prefer to spend my Saturday night watching rugby."
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is on Saturday (23 March) at 7pm on ITV1, STV & ITVX.
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