Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have opened up about the ‘difficult’ task of hosting I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! with Matt Hancock in the jungle.
The Geordie duo are returning to screens this weekend with a fresh instalment of the long-running series Saturday Night Takeaway, giving ITV viewers the happiest ninety minutes of the week.
They will be back on TV screens for the first time since the highly controversial I’m A Celebrity series, which saw the former Health Secretary enter the jungle in Australia.
The hosts have now said it was 'very difficult' to have the serving MP in the reality show, but added that they had to remain impartial.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, Dec said: "I think it’s very difficult not to [feel that way]."
He added: "We were all affected by decisions that he made and situations he created, so it was very, very difficult. But we tried incredibly hard to be impartial and to put that to one side. And I hope we did it."
Ant went on to explain that the majority of celebs that take part in the show come with some sort of ‘baggage’, however noted that once in camp they have to treat them all equally.
"It doesn’t matter who you are," added Ant. " Boy George did [have baggage]. Matt Hancock did. Probably all of the campmates [last] year came with a history.
"But once they’re in there, they’re campmates, so we have to treat them like campmates, and let them tell their stories."
Ant added: "We tried to be as fair, and as even, as possible to all of them."
It comes after Ant and Dec gave Saturday Night Takeaway fans an insight into one of their pranks on the upcoming series of the ITV hit show.
The latest series of the cheeky show will see cameos from the nation's favourite PE teacher Joe Wicks and Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman – as well as Alison Hammond and Rylan as the next unwitting victims of their very own Undercovers.
Ant and Dec appeared on Thursday evening’s The One Show ahead of the first episode this weekend and viewers got a first look clip at This Morning star Alison’s upcoming prank.
The clip showed Alison enter a creepy-looking hotel, while Ant and Dec lurk in a secret room on the premises to carry out the prank.
However, Alison was immediately put off by the place, as she dubbed it ‘haunted’ in the foyer and was then seen in a guest room saying: "A million percent I'm not staying here."
In later scenes in the haunted hotel, complete with eerie dolls along the walls, Alison said: "This place is haunted. I feel it. I have an affinity with spirits."
In the BBC One studio after the clip played, Ant admitted: "I actually feel a bit sorry for her watching that."
