Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

Taken from Friday's Daily Mirror:

SATURDAY Night Takeaway star Dec Donnelly suffered concussion and a fractured thumb and elbow when a stunt with Ant McPartlin went wrong.

Dec, 29, crashed a motorbike after jumping through bales of blazing hay.

A source said: "An ambulance was called and he was checked over and they told him to go to hospital when he went back to London that night, just to be safe. Dec was really surprised to find out he had so many injuries. He'll be wearing a sling on the show for the next couple of weeks."

Dec said last night: "The accident shook me up and I'm still in a bit of pain. But the show must go on - Ant won't give me the night off!"

The pair were practising for the Ant versus Dec challenge at an RAF base in North Wales.

Ant made a successful landing but Dec hit the ground at an awkward angle, flipped over the handlebars and the bike landed on top of him. In the Ant versus Dec challenge, the hosts compete against each other. Viewers choose forfeits for the loser, which will be performed in the last show. So far, they have won twice each.

They were very worried about doing that stunt last week on the show. Do you think the accident will be broadcast?

They'll probably cut the bit before the accident happens to a 'talking head' by Ant about to enter Dec's hospital room or something.

They did show it, complete with lots of oooohs and aaaahhs from the studio audience (the bar must run dry at the London Studios to get that audience so worked up). It did look painful

Amusing that Little Dec also came on with his arm in a sling!

Great gag about Dec getting a cheque from ITV following the accident - £250 from You've Been Framed.

I doubt though any further Ant v Dec will be too risky - and Dec won't be able to do any real physical challenge this series.


As a side note - anyone notice that today's Grab the Ads gave viewers the chance to win the "contents of the ad break" from Mondays Tonight with Trevor McDonald.

Someone should point out that Tonight doesn't actually have an ad break!

I thought that Grab the Ads thing was all made up.

Only downfall is the show is plagued by ex-I'm a Celeb contestants

Takeway is losing its appeal. I didn't bother to flick over last night.

I'm think that the started to show decline because the features in the current series are starting to become repetitive and uninspiring. The big question has always been whether you get stick for trying out new ideas or sticking with the same material.

Then again it might be because I am getting annoyed with the ultra hyped up audience!

Indeed, can usually predict the flow of the show every time now:

Sketch (pack everybody into the show who's going to feature in it)
Titles.
Spiel.
Random feature (Takeaway Opportunity Knocks anybody?)
Undercover (lack of variety here I feel, using the same techniques every time)
Ant V Dec (nothing particularly memorable happening here)
Little Ant & Dec (about the only decent article left in the show IMO)
Grab The Ads (games are starting to get silly)
Win The Ads.
Music (or something that I think is supposed to be music)
Win the Ads conclusion.
Goodbye.

What bar? - that was shut a couple of years ago.
Shame really - damm nice view of the Thames from the floor to celing windows..

Really? How long ago? I was in it August 2003!

I was in the space where it was April last year...