Ant and Dec’s grand final of Saturday Night Takeaway is set to air tonight with a star-studded lineup and plenty of surprises in store.
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, both 48, will wrap up their 20th series of the hit weekend series with a very special extended live episode to say goodbye.
The I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! presenters have helmed the ITV variety show since 2002, but last year announced the upcoming 20th season would be their ‘last one for a little while’.
From tear-jerking moments to hilarious gaffes and a few controversies along the way, Saturday Night Takeaway has become a staple of many people’s weekly watches for more than two decades.
As we prepare for the show’s grand final, here’s everything you need to know.
Who are the celebrity guests for the last Saturday Night Takeaway?
As you would expect, the final episode of Saturday Night Takeaway is packed full of celebrity guests – from music stars to radio icons and reality TV regulars.
Girls Aloud will be the Star Guest Announcers for the occasion, returning after the pop stars first starred on the show after winning Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.
Other musical guests on the eclectic bill set to appear include S Club, Tony Hadley, and Kaiser Chiefs.
Regular Takeaway star Andi Peters will present his final competition on the evening, with Capital Breakfast host Jordan North, This Morning’s Josie Gibson, and Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt out and about surprising members of the public for one last time.
Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Craig David, and Alison Hammond will also be appearing live in the studio for another edition of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Ear, where stars pranked by Ant and Dec have a chance to get their own back.
Stephen Mulhern, Kirsty Gallacher, and Ashley Roberts are set to pop up, while Ben Foster and Clive Tydesley entertain viewers in a football challenge.
What time is Saturday Night Takeaway on tonight?
Tonight’s final episode of Saturday Night Takeaway will run from 7pm to 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, an hour longer than normal.
As well as plenty of surprises and the final edition of fan favourite Ring My Bell, the presenters will look back on their favourite times from the show.
Ahead of the two-hour spectacular, Ant shared that it is ‘genuinely the biggest Saturday Night Takeaway we’ve ever done.’
Dec continued: ‘We’re taking over the whole of TV Centre, it’s going to be chaotic, unpredictable and hopefully very entertaining….anything could happen!
‘Everything is supersized for this very special live farewell show – we’ve got three stages, our main studio stage and two brand new purpose-built stages outside TV Centre.’
Why are Ant and Dec ending the show?
Ant previously revealed their hiatus comes as he becomes a first-time dad when wife Anne-Marie Corbett, 46, gives birth, with their baby expected to arrive in June.
‘Part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family,’ he said earlier this year.
‘We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.’
Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, paid tribute to the show ahead of its final episode, adding: ‘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 & Dec’s final Saturday Night Takeaway airs tonight at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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