Ant & Dec don’t deserve an NTA this year as Dermot O’Leary urges public to pick someone else
The host said: 'If they win it, having not been on television, we may as well just chuck in the towel'
DERMOT O'Leary has said Ant and Dec must NOT pick up a National Television Award next week, insisting: “If they win it, having not been on television, we may as well just chuck in the towel.”
The Geordie pair, who have picked up the Best Presenter gong every year since 2001, are nominated in the category yet again, going up against Graham Norton, Holly Willoughby, Bradley Walsh and Phillip Schofield.
However, Ant has barely appeared on screen since being arrested for drink-driving in March last year, with him last being seen popping up on the pre-recorded Britain's Got Talent auditions in May.
His dramatic personal life caused Declan Donnelly, 43, to host the remainder of Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain's Got Talent alone and team up with Holly on I'm A Celeb in November.
Speaking to the , Dermot said: “If Ant and Dec win it this year, we should just not do it anymore If they win it, we may as well just chuck in the towel.
"With the greatest respect to the boys, I think Holly has had such a great year, and Graham.”
Dermot has since insisted that his comments were a joke
He wrote on Twitter: "I wouldn’t normally react to this, but... A) I said no such thing. I merely joked that if the boys win this year, we should all chuck in the towel. It was neither serious nor a ‘rage.’!
"And... B) If you think on the day after one of the most important votes in parliamentary history, this warrants front page news- then someone really does need to consider their future in journalism. Other than that, you have yourselves a good morning all!"
Asked why they were shortlisted, X Factor host Dermot replied: "They [Ant and Dec] made the decision that they want to put themselves up this year, so you’d have to ask him.”
Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan also slammed Ant McPartlin’s surprise nomination.
He said: "They’ll win, even though Ant has basically been sat on his backside walking his dog for the last year.”
Ant, 43, is expected to reunite with Dec for Britain's Got Talent auditions after stepping away from the spotlight following his drink-drive arrest.
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Dermot, 45, told the Sunday Mirror: "Ant's a dear friend. I think he's scheduled to come back to TV this year. As long as he's happy. He just needs to be in a good place."
"Ant and Dec are such a staple that when I was doing a trailer for I'm A Celeb I said their names instead of Holly."
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