ITV responds to rumours Ant and Dec are to be ‘scrapped’ from I’m a Celeb

The end of an era?

Since 2002, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have co-presented hit reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. They are as much part of the entertainment as seeing the contestants attempt tasks that involve eating the genitals of exotic animals. But sadly, 16 years on, rumours of their stint on the show coming to an end are constant. The Star on Sunday reported that ITV are set to scrap the dynamic duo for the show and seek new talent and give the show a rejig. Ant's personal struggles with alcohol have been well documented, and with him needing time to recover, ITV reportedly became sceptical of letting Dec present the show solo. "There's a very real possibility that Ant won't be available to present the next series of the jungle", a source told The Star. "Production staff who work on the show were worried that meant it may not go ahead and they'd be out of a job. A lot of crew members were in tears." While both halves of Ant and Dec are equally talented in their roles as TV presenters, they are very much a package deal and rather than having one of them present the show, "they would rather have neither", the source continued. But the show must go on. The top dogs at ITV have reportedly told those involved that the show will be aired, whether Ant & Dec are presenting or not. "While Ant and Dec are a big part of the show, they aren't bigger than the show. They are confident it would still work without them," the source added. However, ITV have since responded to these claims, strongly denying them. "It is utter nonsense to suggest that Ant and Dec are set to be replaced on I'm A Celebrity," a spokesman told The Mirror. The reports come just after the news that Dec Donnelly and his wife Ali are expecting their first child together.