Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway

ITV has signed a new, exclusive two year deal with Ant and Dec which will extend the award winning duo’s long term relationship with the UK’s most successful commercial broadcaster through to December 2013.

The new deal will see Ant & Dec present new series of I’m A Celebrity…..Get Me Out Of Here and Britain’s Got Talent, alongside the return of the duo’s hit series Saturday Night Takeaway for a tenth run. A firm favourite with the British public, Saturday Night Takeaway has so far won four National TV Awards.

Ant & Dec joined ITV in 1998 presenting the Saturday morning shows SM:tv Live and CD:UK. They have been exclusively signed to the channel since 2000 and have won numerous awards including a staggering twelve National Television Awards (including Most Popular Entertainment Presenters for the last ten years in a row), six British Comedy Awards, three BAFTAs and a variety of other industry accolades.

Peter Fincham, ITV Director of Television, Channels and Online, said: “Ant and Dec remain at the very top of their game as two of the nation’s most popular television stars.  Their ability to connect with our audience is unrivalled and I’m delighted that we’re extending our exclusive partnership with them both for a further two years.”

Ant said: “We are really pleased to sign with ITV for another two years and continue to make the programmes we love with the channel.”

Dec added: “We always said we would bring back Saturday Night Takeaway, so we’re particularly delighted plans are now in place. We have lots of fresh and exciting ideas for the brand new series.”

It’s being reported by various media today that Ant and Dec have made the decision not to make any further series of Saturday Night Takeaway which has run for the last seven years.

According to The News of the World newspaper, the pair reckon that the show has lost viewer appeal and has become too expensive to warrant continuing, however, it seems the comedy duo are in “talks” with ITV about new projects. Both are contracted to ITV until the end of the year.

A source is quoted in the paper as saying, “Ant and Dec have been involved in discussions about Takeaway and are working on a replacement show.

“It was their baby and the show they loved the most. They’re really going to miss making it.

“But it costs a huge amount to make. The stunts are really expensive and in the credit crunch they can’t be justified. The boys are really excited about the new formats though.

“They are working furiously at the moment to get them just right.”

An ITV spokesman also confirmed that the show hasn’t been re-commissioned, but added that “no decision on its future had been made.”

The show ended its most recent series in March and achieved viewing figures of 6 million which is apparently a drop of 3 million; in 2004, each show averaged 9 million viewers.

If it’s true, I’m certainly going to miss it! What about you?

Saturday, 21 March 2009, 7:45PM

High School Musical star Zac Efron will be the guest announcer on the final show of the series. Joining them is chart topper Lily Allen who will be live in the studio to perform her new single Not Fair.

Ant & Dec head back to the slammer as the *three remaining celebrities face another gruelling challenge in bid to earn their ‘freedom’ in Escape From Takeaway Prison.

Taking on the guise of prison wardens Ant and Dec will be on hand to see that the motley crew stay within the confines of their ‘prison’. Tonight, the prisoners must first tackle The Gate. They will have to race down a giant treadmill and negotiate three prison gates as they go, each gate has bendy bars which the inmates have to pull back before they leap through the gaps. The fastest two face a Prison Yard Tricycle Race in which the winner will be ‘granted their freedom’.

Celebrities include: MC Harvey, Chesney Hawkes, Philip Olivier, Craig Phillips, Rowland Rivron and Terri Dwyer.

Ant V Dec: Ant and Dec continue to pit their wits against each other in attempt in a host of challenges. After five difficult challenges that tested their mental physical and…singing abilities, one team will be crowned the winner.

Turning the camera on the members of the public, Ant & Dec will be springing hilarious surprises on viewers around the UK and live in the studio audience.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says – ‘don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!’ One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of a commercial break everything from mega prizes of cars and holidays to well…. a toilet roll.

NB: The *three remaining Escape From Takeaway Prison ‘prisoners’ will be revealed on Saturday’ show. So far Keith Harris, Nancy Lam, Bianca Gascoigne, Nancy Sorrell, David Van Day, Josie D’Arby, Kenzie, Cheryl Baker, Monica and Gabriela Irimia (The Cheeky Girls), Andy Scott-Lee, Linda Barker, Richard Blackwood and Aldo Zilli.

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is a Gallowgate/ITV Productions for ITV1

WWW.ITV.COM/TAKEAWAY

Ant & Dec are back with the eighth series of their award winning entertainment show Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

In the fifth episode of the series, GMTV favourites Kate Garraway and Andrew Castle get ready to buckle up and take pole position as they attempt to get serious against Ant and Dec with Beat The Boys Extreme. The heat is on for our daring drivers as new obstacles put not only their driving skills but their physical abilities to the test. This week, Ant and Dec will be driving round Rockingham Speedway in The Goth Mobile, hilariously resembling The Cure’s Robert Smith (Ant) and Marilyn Manson (Dec). Kate and Andrew take on the boys in a quirkily customised Texas Oil Baron car. Can the GMTV presenters emerge victorious against our boys?

Hollywood glamour puss Jessica Alba will be stepping into The Voiceover Booth to lend her distinctive tones as guest announcer to the show this week.

One lucky member of the public will have the opportunity to step into the maze and win a big cash prize in The Mouse Trap. The unsuspecting viewer will have just one minute to grab as much cash as they can and get out of the Mouse Trap but if they fail to get out in time they will lose the lot.

Another week, another challenge for Ant, Dec and their celebrity friends in ‘Ant v Dec: The Teams’.

Back in the studio, celebrities will be tackling some brand new games in the hope of winning some lucky viewers fantastic prizes in ‘Grab The Ads’ plus Ant & Dec will be springing surprises on members of the studio audience.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says – ‘don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!’ One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks – these mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to well…. a toilet roll.

Saturday 15 March 2008 7:10pm – 8:30pm on ITV1.

Ant & Dec are back with the eighth series of their award winning entertainment show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

In the fourth show of the series, the original ‘IT’ girl Tara Palmer Tomkinson and singer Duncan James get ready to buckle up and take pole position as they attempt to get serious with Beat The Boys Extreme. This year the heat is on for our daring drivers as new obstacles put not only their driving skills but their physical ability to the test. The racing rivals will have to navigate around spectacular Rockingham Speedway in quirky customised motors but can David and Lesley emerge victorious against Ant & Dec?

Hollywood action hero The Rock will be stepping into The Voiceover Booth to lend his distinctive tones as guest announcer to the show this week.

One lucky member of the public will have the opportunity to step into the maze and win a big cash prize in The Mouse Trap. The unsuspecting viewer will have just one minute to grab as much cash as they can and get out of the Mouse Trap but if they fail to get out in time they will lose the lot.

Another week, another challenge for Ant, Dec and their celebrity friends in Ant v Dec: The Teams. With the competition heating up and both teams neck and neck will it be Ant’s turn to finally walk away with title?

Back in the studio, celebrities will be tackling some brand new games in the hope of winning some lucky viewers fantastic prizes in Grab The Ads plus Ant & Dec will be springing surprises on members of the studio audience.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says – ‘don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!’ One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks – these mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to well…. a toilet roll.

Saturday 8 March 2008 7:15pm – 8:30pm on ITV1.

Ant & Dec are back with the eighth series of their award winning entertainment show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

In the third show of the series, Ant and Dec introduce a brand new Grab The Ads game. King of the Swingers gives lucky viewers at home the chance to win a host of fantastic prizes with the help of reigning King of the Jungle and now Takeaway’s ‘King of the Swingers’, Christopher Biggins. Lending a hand is Jungle Jayne Middlemiss, who will be swinging on a vine across the studio towards a giant bunch of spinning bananas. Each banana she manages to grab will have a number on it which relate to the prizes on the board and giving her a push in the right direction will be her Tarzan, Christopher. Both Christopher and Jayne will be kitted out in Tarzan and Jayne style costumes for the usual Takeaway madness.

Over the past couple of weeks Tinseltown superstars Will Ferrell and Uma Thurman have stepped into the Voiceover Booth and this Saturday another top celebrity will be stopping by to lend their silky tones to the show.

The Mouse Trap is a brand new game in which one lucky member of the public will have the opportunity to win big cash prizes each week. In a race against the clock, the unsuspecting viewer will have just one minute to grab as many chunks of cheese worth £1,000 as they can. However, if they fail to get out of the maze that is the Mouse Trap in time they will lose everything.

Another week, another challenge for Ant, Dec and their celebrity friends in Ant v Dec: The Teams. Three weeks into the series, is Ant making any headway in his mission to beat his rival Dec once and for all?

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says “don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!” One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks. These mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to well…. a toilet roll.

Saturday 1 March 2008 6:45pm – 8:00pm on ITV1.

12 February 2008

Birds Eye, the UK’s leading frozen food brand, is to sponsor the forthcoming series of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. The sponsorship will be on air from 16th February and will run for six weeks.

The sponsorship idents will capture the warmth and fun of the family teatime, and place Birds Eye food at the heart of the occasion, driving its Good Mood Food positioning. Iconic Birds Eye products, including its Omega 3 Fish Fingers and Potato Waffles, will be featured.

As one of the most popular family shows on TV, averaging 7.2 million viewers per episode in Series 7 and holding the primetime Saturday night slot, Saturday Night Takeaway is a perfect partnership for iconic frozen food brand, Birds Eye.

Ben Pearman, Marketing Director at Birds Eye said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Birds Eye and one which we are very excited about. Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is one of the most sought after sponsorship slots on television, and as one of the most popular family shows it’s also a perfect fit for Birds Eye, one of Britain’s loved and trusted brands.”

Emma Laurence, Sponsorship Sales Executive at ITV’s Customer Relations, said: “We are delighted that such a great British brand is sponsoring a great ITV programme brand. Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is one of ITV’s flagship entertainment shows and we look forward to developing this association across all the platforms available.”

Ant & Dec are back with the eighth series of their award winning entertainment show.

In the second show of the series, antique expert and The Real Deal presenter, David Dickinson and wife Lorne Lesley get ready to buckle up and take pole position as they attempt to get serious with Beat The Boys Extreme. This year the heat is on for our daring drivers as new obstacles put not only their driving skills but their physical ability to the test. The racing rivals will have to navigate around spectacular Rockingham Speedway in quirky customised motors but can David and Lesley emerge victorious against Ant & Dec?

Hollywood A-lister and film icon Uma Thurman will be stepping into The Voiceover Booth to lend her silky tones as guest announcer to the show this week.

The Mouse Trap is a brand new game in which one lucky member of the public will have the opportunity to win big cash prizes each week. In a race against the clock, the unsuspecting viewer will have just one minute to grab as much cash as they can and get out of the Mouse Trap but if they fail to get out in time they will lose the lot!

Another week, another challenge for Ant, Dec and their celebrity friends in Ant v Dec: The Teams. With one of the teams a member down after losing last week’s task, each group still has everything to play for.

Back in the studio, celebrities will be tackling some brand new games in the hope of winning some lucky viewers fantastic prizes in Grab The Ads plus Ant & Dec will be springing surprises on members of the studio audience.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says – ‘don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!’ One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks – these mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to well…. a toilet roll.

Saturday 23 February 2008 7:30pm – 8:45pm on ITV1.

Ant & Dec are back with the eighth series of their award winning entertainment show.

In the first episode, Hollywood A-lister and Golden Globe winner Will Ferrell will be stepping into The Voiceover Booth to lend his madcap ways to the show as guest announcer. Celebrities who took part last year included award winning director Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood actor Christian Slater, Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe, funnyman Harry Hill and celebrity couple Peter and Jordan.

The Mouse Trap is a brand new game in which one lucky member of the public will have the opportunity to win big cash prizes each week. In a race against the clock, the unsuspecting viewer will have just one minute to grab as much cash as they can and get out of the Mouse Trap, but if they fail to get out in time they will lose the lot!

Ant v Dec is back but this time with a twist! This series, Ant v Dec: The Teams will see our daring duo joined by host of celebrity friends who will be competing alongside them in a host of spectacular challenges.

Back in the studio, celebrities will be tackling some brand new games in the hope of winning some lucky viewers fantastic prizes in ‘Grab The Ads’ plus Ant & Dec will be springing surprises on members of the studio audience.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says: “Don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!”
One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks – these mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to, well, a toilet roll.

Saturday 16 February 2008 8:15pm – 9:30pm on ITV1.

Ant & Dec are back with their award winning entertainment show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Over the last five weeks our hosts have learnt the art of speed skating, competed in a live spelling test, ran the hurdles, read the weather and held their breaths under water but tonight it’s the nail biting finale of Ant V Dec. Only one can be crowned champion and for the loser, they will have to complete one final challenge….a surprise forfeit!

One of the biggest acts in pop will be taking centre stage and performing live in front of the studio audience.

Another Global superstar will be stepping into the Voiceover Booth to lend their distinctive tones throughout the show.

Our crafty duo will also be springing one final surprise on an unsuspecting member of the studio audience.

Adele Silva, Sinitta and Anneka Rice will be joining other famous faces and Grabbing the Ads, which this week is ‘Celebrity Toadstool’. Decked out in hilarious guises our plucky celebrities will be competing to win viewers some fantastic prizes.

The Jiggy Bank will be back on the road one final time this series and giving one lucky viewer the chance to ‘jiggy’ their way to a fortune.

And of course the lads are giving away the ads – the only show on telly that says – ‘Don’t just watch the ads – win ‘em!’

One lucky member of the studio audience will be given the chance to play for the contents of the commercial breaks – these mega prizes can be anything from cars and holidays to, well…. a toilet roll.