TV star Ant McPartlin laughed off a technical glitch that meant he went ‘missing’ during a radio show earlier today (April 3).
Dec Donnelly joked his presenting pal, 44, was still in bed when Ant failed to appear as expected.
Radio 2 host Dermot O’Leary had expected them both on for a chat on his breakfast show.
But as they went live on air, there was only one Geordie star for Dermot to chat with.
Read more: Piers Morgan calls for Boris Johnson to create crisis team of former PMs
“It’s Dec and Dec,” Dermot joked as he introduced his guest.
He continued: “Where is Ant [McPartlin]?”
Dec laughed in reply: “Who knows, Dermot? Who knows?”
Asked whether Ant had slept in, Dec joked: “Wouldn’t be the first time, Dermot.”
Read more: Prince William ‘hurt over Harry not being in UK amid coronavirus crisis’
But he went on to clarify he believed Ant McPartlin was held up by a technical issue.
“We’re all getting used to Zoom and WhatsApp calling and video calling, none of us know what we’re doing, do we?” Dec reflected.
‘I’ve been waiting!’
Ant McPartlin eventually turned up, laughing about how he had been trying to get through.
“What are you on about, Dermot?” he said light-heartedly.
“I’ve been sat here waiting for you!”
Dec joked in response: “Have you been walking that dog again?”
The presenting pair went on to discuss presenting Saturday Night Takeaway from their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They had been forced to ensure the show went on without a studio audience the weekend before.
‘Huge amount of nerves’
They admitted there were worries about the technical aspects of broadcasting in a completely different way, too.
Dec said: “It was the week before last we were there.
“We said we’re going to try to continue to bring the show to everyone as long as we’re able and allowed.
“[But] it just got to the point we couldn’t continue bringing that amount of crew into the studio. And me and Ant [McPartlin] stand next to each other. And we just couldn’t do it.
“We pre-recorded the last two episodes and then thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we did it from our living rooms?’
“So we bought two new mobile phones and did it.
“It’s very different. You’re praying the technical aspects keep up.
“There’s a huge amount of nerves where you think: ‘Is my Wi-Fi going to hold up?'”
Ant added: “It looks dead easy – but there’s a lot more that goes into it.
“You’re trying to choose the best corner of your house to show off…
“You don’t want to show too much but want it to look good on the telly.”
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.