Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly have shared how they were left 'panicking' when their prank on Ant & Dec's as part of the new series of Saturday Night Takeaway almost fell apart. The presenting duo will be back on screens on Saturday night (February 25) with their hit ITV show after nearly a year off-air.
The new series of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which first aired in 2002 and has been on screens since, aside from during a hiatus between 2009 and 2013, will feature Alison, Joe Wicks, Claudia Winkleman and Rylan Clark among other famous faces. And as ever, the new run will feature a variety of segments, with some of the most popular including I’m A Celebrity… Get Out Of Me Ear, On Air Dares and Singalong Live.
Ant and Dec appeared on The One Show on Thursday night (February 23) ahead of the first episode this weekend and viewers got a first-look clip at This Morning star Alison's upcoming prank. The clip showed Alison being set to a spooky-looking hotel, while Ant and Dec hid in another room on the premises, which had been decked out with hidden cameras, in order to carry out the prank.
But it turns out Alison was immediately put off by the venue, claiming it was haunted as soon as she stepped foot in reception. She was then seen in a guest room saying: "A million per cent I'm not staying here." Eventually sitting down for a drink in the hotel's restaurant, Alison said: "This place is haunted. I feel it. I have an affinity with spirits."
After the clip was played out to The One Show viewers, back in the studio, Ant admitted: "I actually feel a bit sorry for her watching that." Dec then said the prank very nearly went 'absolutely haywire' and shared how it is the closest they have been in more than 20 series to a prank being ended before it properly started.
Dec explained: "She got as far as reception and said I'm not staying here. This place is too spooky. We've set the whole place up, and got hidden cameras everywhere." Ant added: "We had to ring the plant, which was the producer from This Morning and get her into the restaurant for a drink at least.
"We then had to ring the driver and just get him away so she didn't have a car to go to. We had to do anything we could to keep her there." Dec then teased: "That is the one that very nearly didn't happen. It's the closest to falling apart,” as Ant added: "There's genuine panic on our faces."
Ant and Dec are also filming a behind-the-scenes documentary which will give viewers a glimpse into the making of Saturday Night Takeaway and how each live show works.
Speaking about the hour-long documentary, which is expected to air this spring, Ant, 47, said: "We are really excited to lift the curtain a little on Saturday Night Takeaway. The crew behind the upcoming documentary will be immersed within the production team, allowing them to capture the inner workings of the show.
"We’ll have footage of all the ups and downs, the last-minute dramas that come with making a weekly live entertainment show. Believe me, there are lots of dramas that happen behind the scenes."
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