‘We truly adored Saturday Night Takeaway’ – Ant and Dec sign off finale

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have signed off their final episode of the 20th series of Saturday Night Takeaway.

The Geordie duo announced last year that they would be halting the ITV1 entertainment series as it seemed like the “perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath”.

McPartlin said on the programme: “Saturday Night Takeaway is the kind of show Dec and I watched every Saturday growing up, so it’s been an honour and a privilege to have made the show and to have been part of your Saturday nights for over 20 years.”

Donnelly said: “When we started this back in 2002, we thought we’d be lucky if we got to do this for maybe a couple of years, so what’s happened has honestly been beyond our wildest dreams.

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“We have truly adored every second of making the show, but there’s one thing we’ve never ever forgotten, and that’s the fact it’s not our show – it’s your show.

“So we’d like to say a massive thank you to you, our incredible audience.”

They then looked back at highlight clips from more than two decades of the show before taking part in a big musical number with McFly, who sang a version of their hit song All About You alongside the two presenters.

Their final goodbye to viewers thanked the audience and the celebrities for taking part and followed on from them singing Kool & The Gang’s Celebration throughout the studio.

Kicking off the two-hour finale on Saturday was singer Craig David, who DJed in front of the studio to crowds before McPartlin told the audience inside that the ending was “going to be emotional”.

They then introduced guests Girls Aloud ahead of their upcoming reunion tour, saying the girl group would be the announcers for the evening, as well as scientist Brian Cox. They also gave out prizes to the studio and at-home audience.

During the Ant vs Dec challenge, Donnelly beat McPartlin in a penalty shoot-out, while Saturday Night Takeaway regular and Catchphrase presenter Stephen Mulhern oversaw the competition dressed as a trophy.

“Honestly Stephen, we’ve had a blast,” McPartlin said after losing.

“Stephen, thank you so much for everything you brought,” Donnelly said. “You’ve been an absolute star we couldn’t have done it without you.”

The presenters also announced that studio audience member Tasha had won the biggest prize pot in the history of the show so far by taking home more than £250,000 after answering questions in the Win The Ads segment.

McPartlin and Donnelly were also joined by S Club, Tony Hadley and Kaiser Chiefs to perform the latter band’s hit track I Predict A Riot after the sing-a-long competition.

During the Get Out Of Me Ear: The Revenge prank, Holly Willoughby, Rylan Clark, Olly Murs, Davina McCall, Gino D’Acampo, and Cheryl were among the celebrities giving McPartlin and Donnelly orders in a restaurant.

Willoughby told Donnelly to ask a waiter where the toilets are and say “because I need a poo, poo” and after pushing them to both chant for cheesecake, she told McPartlin to then demand “vegan ice cream”.

Before revealing to the diners that this was all a joke, Cheryl arrived with a cake and told the restaurant’s customers to mark the “massive milestone and sing happy birthday” to the duo.

She then told them she had another “surprise” and threw the cakes at their faces before her, Donnelly, McPartlin, Clark and Willoughby had a food fight in the restaurant.

Simon Cowell, Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond also appeared on the programme alongside TV presenter Andi Peters and radio host Jordan North.

McPartlin and Donnelly, who met on teen drama Byker Grove, have been working together for more than 30 years, and launched Saturday Night Takeaway in 2002.

The show, which has received multiple Bafta and National Television Awards (NTA), was paused for a period in 2009, before returning four years later in 2013.

They also host other ITV shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win.