Ant McPartlin '˜will not return to TV until next year'

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, hosted by McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, is due to air later this year, traditionally kicking off in November. But Mulhern, who hosts Britain’s Got More Talent, told Best magazine: “Fingers crossed, Ant will get the treatment he needs and be back to his old self for next year.

“But he does need the rest and to be left alone, and given the time to recover.”

ITV has already confirmed that Donnelly will be hosting the live Britain’s Got Talent shows without his TV partner of almost 30 years.

Mulhern said: “I think that Dec has been incredible about the situation, and he’s doing so well on his own.”

McPartlin, 42, was banned from driving for 20 months and fined £86,000 after pleading guilty to driving while more than twice the legal limit following a crash in Richmond, west London, on March 18.

The TV presenter said he was “ashamed and mortified” after crashing his car while drink-driving with his mother in the passenger seat.

McPartlin’s barrister said his client had been seeking help for “alcohol and emotional issues” at the time of the incident. After he was charged with drink-driving, McPartlin terminated all his work commitments for the “foreseeable future”.