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Saturday Night Takeaway will come full circle when it returns to ITV, taking a dig at Simon Cowell.
Presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will launch the 20th series of their long-running light entertainment juggernaut on February 24, months after confirming it will be the last for the foreseeable future.
And its first installment will take the Geordie presenters to Los Angeles for an unmissable Undercover segment, during which they target an unsuspecting Cowell outside his California haven.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge was originally cast in his first undercover prank, a segment involving tricking celebrities into bizarre situations, while working on US reality show American Idol.
McPartlin said, “It was even sweeter to get him the second time because we also caught him during his free time riding his bike around Malibu, it’s really, really fun.”
Saturday Night Takeaway will come full circle when it returns to ITV, pranking Simon Cowell
Co-host Donnelly added: ‘We’re ending Undercovers where we started… with Simon Cowell! Our first Undercover was about Simon in Los Angeles when he was a judge on American Idol.
“So we went back and found Simon Cowell again. We went to Los Angeles and gave him a hell of a day while he was judging on America’s Got Talent.
In a new clip, the pair follow Cowell as he leaves his Malibu home on a mountain bike before being stopped by two actors dressed as security guards.
The long-running family show will return to ITV1 for its 20th series at 7pm on February 24, months after hosts Ant and Dec announced their temporary hiatus.
The couple will continue their exclusive working relationship with ITV, hosting hit shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win, all of which air on ITV1 and ITVX.
But Saturday Night Takeaway will go on a break once the series 20 finale has aired, and its long-term future is yet to be determined, either by ITV or its two hosts.
Ant and Dec previously went on hiatus from the popular live show in 2009 before returning four years later in 2013.
As well as Undercover with Simon Cowell, highlights of the live launch show include guest host Stephen Merchant, the unveiling of a new little Ant & Dec and a special end-of-show performance with singer Becky Hill and Urban Theory . .
Presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will launch the 20th series of their long-running light entertainment giant on February 24.
And its first installment will take the Geordie presenters to Los Angeles for an unmissable Undercover segment, during which they target an unsuspecting Cowell outside his home.
In a new clip, the pair follow Cowell as he leaves his Malibu home on a mountain bike before being stopped by two actors dressed as security guards.
Later in the series is Get Out Of Me Ear: The Revenge; where celebrities who have been victims of Ant & Dec’s hidden cameras over the years get their revenge.
In May, the show’s Geordie presenting duo announced that the multi-BAFTA-winning show would be taking a break after 2024.
Ant said: “We love doing Saturday Night Takeaway, but hitting the 20 series milestone seemed like the perfect time to pause and catch our breath.”
Co-host Dec added: ‘We still have a momentous 20th series to look forward to first, so we’ll do everything we can to go out (for now) with a bang in 2024!’
The series has spawned numerous iconic segments, including Win the Ads, Undercover, Get Out Of Me Ear, The End of Show Show and The Happiest Minute of the Week.
