TWO iconic stars of CITV could reunite for a new show after 20 years as broadcasting bosses plan a major shake-up, insiders say.
The show’s hosts – who fronted the kids channel together from 1998 to 2002 – could be put together in a new role, over 20 years later.
Stephen and Danielle could be set to reunite, sources say
Ant and Dec are set to step back from their fan-favourite show in a major shake-up
Stephen Mulhern and Danielle Nicholls are best known for presenting kids channel CITV together in the early noughties.
Stephen, 46, began his career presenting Finger Tips and Tricky TV alongside Danielle, 44 – entertaining the nation’s kids.
The hosts went their separate ways in 2002, when Danielle left the broadcaster to move on to other presenting roles.
Meanwhile, Stephen stuck with ITV to star on Britain’s Got More Talent and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
As Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly step down from the hit Saturday night show, sources have suggested it could be time for Stephen and Danielle to reunite.
Insiders told the Daily Star: “It’s understood that Danielle and Stephen have remained close friends for many years. He is Godparent to two of Danielle’s children.
“It’s also known that Danielle has recently been in ‘conversations’ with some high up executives at ITV.”
The insider added: “ITV have wanted to put them back together, but they just said it was a case of ‘right job, right place, right time.”
It comes after Danielle opened up in a recent interview that she was “manifesting” a reunion with Stephen.
Speaking to radio host Anna Jameson, Danielle admitted that she had even sent her former co-star a text to ask when their “screen test” was.
Meanwhile, earlier this week it was confirmed that Ant, 47, and Dec, also 47, would be stepping down from Saturday Night Takeaway.
“We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath,” Ant said.
Dec added: “We still have a momentous 20th series to look forward to first so we will do our best to go out (for now) with a bang in 2024.”
Dressed smartly in suits to deliver the message, the pair said: “The show takes up such a lot of our year. We just feel we need a little bit of a breather.”
The popular Geordie duo will film a full-length series, as normal, in 2024 before stepping back to pursue other projects.
Their £30million golden handcuffs deal with ITV will continue until at least 2025, and they will continue to host I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win, all of which air across ITV1 and ITVX.
A source added: “Ant and Dec have been at the forefront of British TV for the past 25 years, and remain absolutely at the top of their game.
“But they do not take their success – and the endless NTA awards – for granted, and know that they can never get complacent.
“They constantly want to innovate and produce amazing, fresh content that appeals to all demographics and every generation.
“Neither Ant or Dec would ever want Takeaway to look tired and have seen other shows, like The X Factor, became slightly stale and look dated.
“Much like when James Corden quit The Late, Late Show, they want to go out on a high, with the public still wanting more.
“And this is exactly what they’ve done. But it really is the end of an era – and there will be a gaping void in ITV’s Saturday night schedule come 2025.”
