Ant and Dec: a "tough summer" helped us "put things in perspective"
The TV presenters had an emotional night at the National Television Awards
TV presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had a very emotional night at the 2018 National Television Awards, taking home no less than three statues after what they described a "tough summer".
"This year was particularly emotional," Ant told RadioTimes.com backstage. "I had quite a tough summer last summer and you never know what way it’s going to go when you’re in the middle of it but to get back to work, be back to work with me best mate, love it, and for the public to still love it and get behind us and support it, it means a hell of a lot."
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The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here presenter, who has been tackling well-publicised issues with addiction and his marriage, was visibly emotional throughout the evening and said his relationship with presenting partner Declan Donnelly is the "most important" element of their success.
“We’ve not worked apart since we were thirteen years old," noted Donnelly. "It’s weird, it’s just odd and even when we’re not working we hang out together, we live in the same street, we play golf together."
"It was a tough summer last year, we were apart for longer than we ever have been before but it was for the best," he continued. "Ant got well and we were back on it and back out to Australia and if anything it’s just made us realise how much we enjoy doing what we’re doing and it’s really put things in perspective for us and put our priorities in order."
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The pair are looking forward to continuing to press ahead with their numerous TV plans now, including a much hyped reunion with the Saturday morning children's TV co-host Cat Deeley for a 20th anniversary special of SM:TV Live.
After that it's business as usual with another stint in the jungle at the end of the year. "It’s taken on a life of it’s own, I’m A Celebrity, it’s just, it could carry on and we’re up for doing it as long as people want us to do it," said Donnelly.
There is one thing they're not up for though, and that's going into the jungle themselves: "Never going to happen!"
