‘I can’t have a pint!’ I’m A Celebrity’s Ant McPartlin makes shock joke about his sobriety… after taking a year off the show for drink-driving conviction
They’ve made nods to Ant McPartlin’s year off from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! a couple of times this season, since it returned on Sunday night.
But Ant caught his presenting partner Declan Donnelly off guard on Thursday night’s edition of sister show Extra Camp when he flat out referenced that he took time off to get sober.
Talking to Emily Atack, Joel Dommett and Adam Thomas, the pair were discussing the two newest additions to the camp Andy Whyment and Cliff Parisi.
‘Or a coke!’ Ant caught his presenting partner Dec off guard on Thursday night’s edition of Extra Camp when he flat out referenced that he took time off to get sober
Emily was saying that Andy is ‘like all of my mates’ and that she’d ‘like to have a pint with him’, to which Ant chimed in: ‘Or a coke!’
This nod to his drink driving arrest and subsequent stint in rehab left Dec speechless for a second, who halted mid-sentence, looked at his pal and laughed, before carrying on with what he was saying.
When the show returned to screens on Sunday night, Ant, 43, joked that he’d taken a ‘year off’ as presenting partner Dec, 44, gushed that they were ‘all back’ in Australia for the most dramatic launch show yet.
As they introduced the show, Dec gushed, ‘We’re back, he’s back, I’m back, we’re all back,’ as they began the show by describing this year’s stars.
Elephant in the room? Emily Atack was saying that Andy Whyment is ‘like all of my mates’ and that she’d ‘like to have a pint with him’, to which Ant chimed in – ‘Or a coke!’
Ant didn’t avoid pointing out his break from TV duties last year, and after Dec struggled to deliver a line he said: ‘I’ve had a year off! What’s your excuse?’
Ant’s re-arrival on the show came after he stepped away for the 2018 season amid various personal woes, with Holly Willoughby replacing him.
His presenting duties were originally suspended by ITV in March 2018 after he was arrested following a road collision with a green Mini and a maroon BMW.
Just blow past it: This nod to his drink driving arrest and subsequent stint in rehab left Dec speechless for a second, who halted mid-sentence, looked at his pal and laughed, before carrying on with what he was saying
Making light of it: They’ve made nods to Ant’s year off from I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! a couple of times this season, since it returned on Sunday night
Ant later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence at Wimbledon Crown Court. He was banned from driving for 20-months and fined a British record £86,000 for drink-driving.
Speaking in August 2018, the presenter confirmed he was taking a temporary break from all presenting duties in order to focus on his recovery.
In a statement, he said: ‘My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.
‘I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.’
Putting her foot in it: Emily presents the sister show with Joel Dommett and Adam Thomas
Funny: Ant didn’t avoid pointing out his break from TV duties last year, and after Dec struggled to deliver a line he said – ‘I’ve had a year off what’s your excuse?’
Ant and Dec recently posted a snap of themselves to their Instagram account as they prepared to host the latest series of I’m A Celebrity.
This came after Dec admitted that he thought he had ‘lost’ his best friend of 31 years for good when Ant was arrested for the drink-driving conviction.
Speaking in their ITV documentary Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey, Dec said: ‘It has been a tough couple of years and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13.’
Ant has also battled an addiction to painkillers and gone through a very public divorce from ex Lisa Armstrong – only to then get together with his former-PA Anne-Marie Corbett.