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Dec flooded with support as he rehearses first solo Saturday Night Takeaway

Dec told fans he was in the studio getting ready for the show

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Declan Donnelly has been inundated with support as he prepares to his first Saturday Night Takeaway solo.

The 42-year-old took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to reveal he was heading to the ITV show’s studios to go through the programme ahead of tomorrow night’s live show.

Dec will host Saturday Night Takeaway alone this weekend (Credit: ITV)

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He is hosting alone after telly partner Ant McPartlin, also 42, returned to treatment and stepped down from current TV work after a drink-driving charge.

Dec tweeted: “Back in studio today preparing your Saturday Night Takeaway for tomorrow night. Have a great Good Friday! D x.”

Dec will host tomorrow night’s episode live from London, before flying to Florida alongside a plane full of Saturday Night Takeaway competition winners to host the series finale.

Thousands of fans were quick to wish Dec luck and tell him they’d be tuning in.

This will mark the first time Dec has ever hosted Saturday Night Takeaway by himself.

He released a statement last week confirming he would front the last two episodes of the series while Ant takes time off his TV work.

ITV
Dec will host the last two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway’s current series without Ant (Credit: ITV)

Dec said: “Whilst I never thought I’d be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration we’ve decided that the remaining two shows of this series of Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead.

“We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that.

“Everyone at ITV and the Takeaway team feels we owe it to the audience to complete the series.”

Dec issued a statement on Wednesday (Credit: Twitter)

Ant was charged with drink-driving after a car collision in Richmond, London on Sunday, March 18. The star’s publicist later confirmed Ant was returning to treatment and stepping down from current TV commitments.

Last week’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway was cancelled in light of what happened, but the show returns to ITV on Saturday, March 31 at 7pm.

ITV
Ant and Dec with their Saturday Night Takeaway colleagues Scarlett Moffatt and Stephen Mulhern (Credit: ITV)

It’s expected that Saturday Night Takeaway guest stars Scarlett Moffatt and Stephen Mulhern will have expanded roles in the last two episodes of the series.

Comedian Stephen Merchant will be the Special Guest Announcer, while Paloma Faith will take on The End Of The Show Show, and The Script will also perform.

Stephen will play his ‘In For a Penny In For a Grand’ game on the streets of Warrington.

Dec will present segments like Win The Ads alone but Scarlett and Stephen will step him to support him at other times (Credit: ITV)

ITV said: “There will also be plenty of surprises as more Places on the Plane are given away, and another lucky player gets the chance to ‘Win The Ads’ in the only show on TV that says ‘don’t just watch the adverts – win ’em!'”

Ant will feature in the episode in the pre-recorded next installment of sketch Saturday Knight Takeaway.

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This weekend’s will be the last from the London studio as the final show will be filmed over at Universal Studios in Orlando.

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