Ant McPartlin is due at production meetings for Britains Got Talent this week, marking an end to his extended break from TV work.
The presenter is getting back to business – reportedly his first day of work in 277 days – just before the close of 2018 to get a head start on next years telly comeback, The Sun claims.
Before Ant is reunited with beloved comedy sidekick Declan Donnelly on screens in April, the duo will meet to finalise plans for the next series of BGT and commence filming the auditions stages in January.
Its been almost 10 months since a drink-drive conviction prompted Ant to seek treatment for alcohol- and emotional-related issues and step back from all TV commitments, including Saturday Night Takeaway and Im A Celebrity.
A representative for Ant McPartlin has been contacted by Metro.co.uk for clarification.
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Senior staff at ITV and Syco have been aware of Ants scheduled return for many months, a representative confirmed to Mirror Online on Tuesday.
He completed his treatment earlier this year after an incredibly difficult two-year period in which he has been entirely focused on turning his life around since March 2018.
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ITV is very excited about Ant and Dec being reunited, a source told The Sun last month. But Ants recovery has been everyones first priority.
To facilitate his return, Ants ex-wife Lisa Armstrong will no longer be serving as head make-up artist on the wider BGT team, it was recently confirmed.
Its claimed that her role on the show was untenable and all efforts were being made for Ant to return smoothly with no unnecessary distractions.
Ant and Lisa finalised their divorce in October, 10 months after confirming their split at the top of 2018.
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