Simon Cowell has expressed his delight in welcoming Ant McPartlin back to Britain’s Got Talent, after the TV star revealed he was taking a one-year break from presenting roles.
The 58-year-old music mogul said Ant's decision to take time off work, as he recovers from drug and alcohol addiction, was the "right thing to do".
Speaking in an interview, he revealed he was looking forward to seeing Ant back on BGT in the near future.
“That is what I always thought would happen, so I am happy to hear that. He is welcome back and we have missed him,' he told The Sun
“But he has done the right thing by taking some time off, and he will come back fresh and will enjoy it.”
Simon’s kind words come after the 42-year-old presenter revealed he was taking time off until 2019 in order to focus on healing himself.
Releasing a statement last month, he explained: "My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.
“I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.”
The break meant he would no longer be presenting the upcoming series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in November.
And it left many fans wondering who’ll take his place alongside longtime TV partner Declan Donnelly.
But much to everyone’s delight, this week Holly Willoughby, 37, confirmed she’d be keeping the legendary presenter’s shoes “warm” while he worked on his recovery.
“I couldn't be more excited to have been asked to stand alongside Dec for the next jungle adventure. I love Ant and want to send him my best wishes and support for a continued recovery,” the This Morning star revealed in a statement.
She added: "These are big shoes, not to fill, but just to keep warm for a little bit... Honestly, I'm a huge fan of I'm a Celebrity and actually feel like I've won a competition to go and hang out on my favourite show! When is it a good time to tell Dec I'm scared of everything that moves?!"
Haha!
We’re sure Ant will enjoy watching Holly squirm before making his return next year…
