Ant & Dec Renew Contract With ITV

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Anthony McPartlin (35) and Declan Donnelly (36), more popularly known as Ant & Dec, have just renewed their contract with ITV, signing on to another two years with the company. The pair first joined ITV in 1998, brought on to present the Saturday morning shows SM: TV Live and CD: UK. They signed their first “golden handcuffs” deal in 2000, and have pretty much remained with the broadcaster ever since.

Their 2009 contract saw the pair take a pay cut, from £6m each per year down to £5m each per year. According to sources, this new contract will keep them at £5m each per year. “Ant and Dec are a massive investment, but they're worth every penny. There is talk of pay cuts, but ITV wouldn't really risk losing them,” said a source. “They're one of the biggest assets the channle has. They work so hard and pull in more viewers than any other host or team.”

The duo is set to host I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Britain's Got Talent, and the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] series of Saturday Night Takeaway. Should ITV renew Simon Cowell's Red or Black, the pair will present it for a second time. What is off their roster is Push the Button, which is created by Gallowgate, the pair's own production company. Canceled after just two series, a source claims that it may be back someday.

“We are really pleased to sign with ITV for another two years and continue to make the programmes we love,” said Ant. “We always said we'd bring back Saturday Night Takeaway,” added Dec. “So we're delighted plans are now in place. We have lots of fresh and exciting ideas for the brand new series.

Apart from the impressive lineup of shows, Ant and Dec have won numerous awards for their work with ITV, like Baftas, British Comedy Awards, and National Television Awards where they have won Most Popular Entertainment Presenters for the pas 10 years.

ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham said: “Ant and Dec remain at the very top of their game as two of the nation's most popular television stars. Their ability to connect with our audience is unrivalled and I'm delighted that we're extending our exclusive partnership with them both for a further two years.
 
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