David Dickinson has slammed claims he's set to leave Dickinson's Real Deal - and revealed a new series is in the works.
The antiques expert and presenter has fronted the show for several years but recently, it was reported that he would be retiring and quitting the ITV show. However, David has now denied that is the case and confirmed when fans can expect a new series.
Dickinson's Real Deal airs on weekday afternoons on ITV, and during an appearance on Loose Women today, hosted by Kaye Adams, Sunetra Sarker, Jane Moore and Coleen Nolan, David confirmed they would be back filming as early as next week.
Speaking on the ITV lunchtime show, he said: "Fake news as Donald Trump would say! Standing down? My agent said we know nothing about it, I know nothing about it. All I can tell you is, a week on Saturday we are filming series 19 and it's going fantastically well. Over a million, as I'm sure your show does very well too and is very popular."
A source previously told the Mail Online that David was leaving the show and that it was an open secret.
"It's an open secret on Dickinson's Real Deal that David will be leaving the show after filming the upcoming series. He's absolutely adored fronting the show," the insider shared.
"It's been a huge success for the channel and viewers still love it 16 years after it launched."
However, a spokesperson for David confirmed to The Mirror that he wasn't going anywhere: "David has no plans to retire from Dickinson’s Real Deal, a show he still very much enjoys making, and is hugely looking forward working on the upcoming series."
David previously fronted BBC's rival antiques show Bargain Hunt from 2000 until 2004, but begin his stint on ITV hosting Dickinson's Real Deal since 2006, which he has fronted ever since, joined by other antiques experts.
An ITV spokesperson said: "The current series of Dickinson’s Real Deal is in production and filming throughout spring and summer. No decisions have been made on future series beyond that."
The speculation surrounding David's position on the ITV show came after it was revealed that Dickinson's Real Deal expert Cheryl Hakeney has quit her job on the ITV show to work with her Love Island daughter.
Cheryl regularly appears alongside David on the ITV lunchtime show, where she parts with her cash to buy some of the public's best offerings of antique items they've found in their home.
Of her decision to leave, she said: "I did the show for 14 years. I was one of the originals but now mine and Zara's business is booming, unfortunately I don't have enough time to film the next series."
