After 30 years at each other’s sides, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have confirmed they will be apart this Christmas, following the end of I’m A Celebrity on Sunday night.
Ant and Dec have said they’re going their separate ways (Image: ITV)
Ant and Dec delivered a bombshell announcement moments after they crowned Danny Jones the new King of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2024.
During Sunday night grand final (December 8), the Geordie duo revealed that they will be spending Christmas apart after being inseparable while filming the month-long series.
When they joined host Joel Dommett on the ITV spin-off show I’m A Celebrity… Unpacked, the pair discussed their well-earned holiday plans.
Ant revealed: “No, we don’t spent it together. I’ll be home with the girls and family, just chilling.” Shocked by the revelation, co-host Kemi Rodgers quizzed: “Do you at least do Boxing Day?”
The dynamic duo, who have graced our screens for over three decades, first rose to fame on the hit BBC teatime series Byker Grove in the early 90s.
Ant and Dec celebrated Danny Jones winning the 2024 crown (Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
They left the show as teenagers to pursue a career in pop music, scoring hits like Eternal Love, Stuck On U and Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble.
For the past 23 years, since hosting Pop Idol in 2001, Ant and Dec have been the biggest presenters on British television, fronting shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, Saturday Night Takeaway and, more recently, their own gameshow Limitless Win.
It comes after it was revealed that Danny Jones won the 2024 final with 41.36% of the votes, while Coleen Rooney got 33.47% and Reverend Richard Coles achieved 25.18%, making it a very close race.
Fans were stunned as it was revealed that Danny won’t receive a cash prize for winning the show, as he was paid a fee to appear, and that he has to return his iconic crown and sceptre before he returns home.
But moments after he was named King of the Jungle, the McFly frontman was caught in an embarrassing blunder. The 38-year-old musician triumphed over Coleen Rooney and Reverend Richard Coles, and couldn’t hide his joy as he was presented with the show’s iconic wooden scepter.
Regrettably, the celebration was short-lived as, just minutes post-credits, Danny seemed to have snapped the coveted item much to the disbelief of viewers and show host, Joel Dommett, who was quick to point out: “Oh no Danny! What have you done?”
Not missing a beat, a laughing Danny quipped: “Has anyone got any glue?” Fans were tickled by the faux pas, flooding Instagram with mirthful comments and expressing elation at Danny’s victory after a gruelling three-week stint in the Australian bush.
Despite the sceptre slip-up, Danny, deeply moved, expressed his gratitude upon receiving his title from Ant and Dec, uttering: “It feels amazing, I can’t even talk.”
He warmly thanked his supporters, adding lightheartedly that it’s refreshing to ‘be liked’ and noted: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I gave my all in there, it’s a lovely feeling to be liked. Thank you so much, I appreciate this so much.”
