Stephen Mulhern doesn’t think Ant McPartlin will return to work until next year.
The ‘Britain’s Got More Talent’ host is convinced his 42-year-old co-star will remain out of the public eye for the rest of the year while he works on beating his demons in rehab after he was found guilty of drink-driving in court earlier this month.
Speaking to Best magazine, the 41-year-old presenter said: "Fingers crossed, Ant will get the treatment he needs and be back to his old self for next year. But he does need the rest and to be left alone, and given the time to recover."
And if Ant – who cancelled his projects for the foreseeable future in March – does take the rest of the year off, the future of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ will be up in the air as him and his partner Dec Donnelly have hosted it together since 2012.
There is a chance that Dec, 41, could present the creepy-crawly show – which is filmed in Australia – by himself as he agreed to do the final two episodes of ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ on his own last month – and he received rave reviews from viewers.
After being charged with drink-driving last month, Ant cancelled all of his upcoming television appearances and took himself off to rehab – less than a year after he sought treatment for his addiction to prescription pills and alcohol.
He appeared in court last week and pleaded guilty to the charge, resulting in him being handed a £86,000 fine and banned from driving for 20 months.
Speaking outside Wimbledon Wimbledon Magistrates Court after the hearing, Ant said he was "ashamed and mortified" of his behaviour and recognised that he needs to set a "good example" as he has fans of all ages looking up to him.
He said: "I accept full culpability for this and wish to apologise to all concerned. I’m disappointed that I’ve let myself and so many others down on this occasion."
He concluded by saying he was seeking help to "address the problems that he has in order to overcome them – and ensure they never happen again."
Ant McPartlin to return to work next year?
