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All the times duo Ant and Dec have appeared on television separately

Do you think Dec should present without Ant?

dec alone tric
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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Ant and Dec presenting career together has been put on hold temporarily following Ant's arrest for drink driving and subsequent treatment. Since the presenter confirmed he would be taking a break from television to focus on his health, Dec has been joined on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! with Holly Willoughby instead. Although Holly is doing a great job, it's still a little sad to see Dec without Ant! The pair have only appeared without on another a handful of times since pairing up as PJ and Duncan in Byker Grove way back in 1989. Take a look at their solo appearances here…

Tric Awards, 2013

Dec joked about the "strangely liberating" experience of attending the Tric Awards to pick up their award for TV Personality of the Year by himself after Ant was too ill to attend. Speaking at the event about Ant's absence, Dec said: "Ant is in bed with a bug, he's vomiting. He can't be here, but I have to say that it's strangely liberating. I'll be honest with you, it's what I wanted. We've never been able to come before and it was supposed to be the pair of us."

dec donnelly tric© Photo: Getty Images

Dec attended the awards with Ant

The Cinder Path, 1994

Dec's last ever film appearance without his entertainment partner came way back in 1994, where he played a stable boy in the Catherine Zeta-Jones film, The Cinder Path. Dec only has a couple of lines in the film, including, "What's going on?'' and, ''I saw him going off down towards the woods".

READ: I'm a Celebrity's Harry Redknapp didn't recognise Prince Harry or Princess Beatrice

dec stable boy© Photo: Rex

Dec's final solo film appearance without Ant was in 1994

I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, 2017

Although it was only a brief separation, viewers were furious when Ant and Dec presented solo sections of the show without one another. ITV even made a jokey statement about the pair following a Twitter storm, writing: "Last night we made a mistake. We apologise to the nation. We promise we will NEVER split @antanddec again. #ImACeleb." Awkward... 

READ: Ant McPartlin's wife Lisa Armstrong is having a 'tough time' after split reveals friend Piers Morgan

ant and dec hug im a celebrity© Photo: ITV

ITV apologised for separating the pair

GMTV, 2009

Ant also made an appeal for viewers to download his charity single for the challenge, and joked about being without Dec for the interview. He said: "The better half… I'm good, I've snuck off – Dec's in bed, in his own home! I presume he's in bed. I've got a particular challenge and I need your help." He also quipped about Dec's new girlfriend at the time, saying: "He doesn't speak to us anymore!"

GMTV - Ant without Dec

This Morning, 2009

Dec made a deliberate appearance without Ant due to a specific challenge on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, where the pair were pitted against one another to sell the most singles for charities. Dec said: "Whoever gets the most downloads wins the point on Saturday night… We feel so lucky, the pair of us, to be doing what we're doing."

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 

Following Ant's arrest for drink driving midway through their popular series, Dec made the decision to finish the series without his best friend. Arriving to a standing ovation from the ground, the clearly nervous presenter joked: "We have got a jam-packed show, this week we have lots to cram in and twice the amount of work to do". Speaking about his decision to carry on without Ant, he tweeted: "Whilst I never thought I'd be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration we've decided that the remaining two shows of this series of Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead. We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that. Everyone at ITV and the Takeaway team feels we owe it to the audience to complete the series. Dec x."

dec returns takeaway

Dec finished the series without Ant

Britain's Got Talent

Although the prerecorded version of the talent competition was filmed with Ant, Dec took on the semi-finals and finale solo, and delighted the live audience and viewers at home with some incredible opening numbers. Speaking about his commitment to the show, Simon Cowell praised Dec, saying: "I just want to say, to you Dec, you have done an outstanding job this week. Seriously, thank you." Dec ducked his head and said thank you, while Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden gave the 42-year-old a supportive hug.

dec bgt opening

Dec performing to I'm So Excited

I'm a Celebrity 2018 

Dec has been joined by Holly Willoughby for the first time ever on I'm a Celebrity, and Ant wished the pair luck ahead of the series, tweeting: "All the very best of luck to the little fella and @hollywills for the show tonight. Lots of love from the big fella!" Viewers had a mixed reaction to Holly as a presenter, but ITV shut down reports that they were thinking of replacing her, telling HELLO!: "We are very happy with Holly presenting alongside Dec."

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Dec is presenting I'm a Celeb with Holly

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