It’s somewhat impressive to spend 30 years presenting without getting caught up in any live TV showdowns. But Ant and Dec’s drought of true drama came to an end last week thanks to the monumentally chaotic I’m a Celebrity: South Africa live final.
There’s no denying that the Geordie double act are national treasures with many strings to their bow. Love or hate them, they know how to deliver a live set piece, having performed adrenaline-inducing challenges including axe throwing, high-speed electric bike racing, and even motorcycling through a ring of fire, on their cosy variety show Saturday Night Takeaway. They’ve crowned millionaires on game shows and risked rubbing famous people up the wrong way with elaborate pranks. Their brand of live television mastery – which saw them win the National Television Awards’ presenting prize for 23 years running – is admirable, but falls very much in the sphere of structured entertainment. Enter stage left, Jimmy Bullard and David Haye.
