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Simon Duke

Ant and Dec speak out as Saturday Night Takeaway fans fume at ITV over cancellation

Ant and Dec have offered fans reassurances over Saturday Night Takeaway's return after ITV scrapped the show to make way for rugby this weekend.

The latest series of the lads' award-winning programme has proved to be total TV gold so far. Ant and Dec gave us quite possibly the best End of the Show Show ever when they dragged up to join stars of RuPaul's Drag Race UK for a memorable finale, before Sam Fender brought the curtain down on last weekend's episode with hit single Seventeen Going Under and a burst of Geordie anthem Local Hero.

Other highlights this series have included Jeremy Clarkson getting pranked in Undercover, Craig Revel-Horwood starring in a hilarious I'm A Celebrity Get Outta Me Ear and new game show Level Up, which saw Ant and Dec spring a huge surprise on unsuspecting members of the public.

READ MORE: Jason Manford spotted partying at Cosy Joes after Newcastle show

The latter happened during last Saturday's episode and it's just as well it proved to be a brilliant one as there is no Saturday Night Takeaway at all this weekend, with ITV cancelling it for Six Nations Rugby, a move that has not gone down well with many viewers.

Live rugby coverage will take over the channel from 7.15-10.30pm, with the Starstruck final also being delayed as a result.

But, assuring fans that there is still more to come from Takeaway this series, Ant and Dec took to social media on Thursday night to post: "Remember there’s no show this weekend as we pass Saturday night over to the rugby

"But they’re only borrowing it! We’ll be keeping your Takeaway warm until it all kicks off again in studio next Saturday 26th March."

News of Takeaway's cancellation was confirmed by Ant and Dec live during last week's show and fans flocked to Twitter to complain to ITV.

A long with angry face emojis to get their point across, one blasted: "Not a happy tv viewer next sat sport on bbc1 and on bbc2 AND on itv not every one likes sport sat night tele ruined NOT a happy viewer sport should not take over 3 channel us takeaway fans very annoyed it is cancelled."

Another fumed: "Sport is literally taking over itv atm Takeaway isn’t on next week because of rugby And final of dancing on ice has been moved a week due to fa cup."

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