'It was a one night stand!' Declan Donnelly jokes about I'm A Celebrity hook up with Holly Willoughby

30 March 2019, 12:35 | Updated: 30 March 2019, 22:01

Declan Donnelly has apologised to his best mate Ant McPartlin after he joked he was left heartbroken watching him on screen with someone else.

Mum-of-three Holly Willoughby, 38, was personally invited to stand in for her pal on I'm A Celebrity as Ant took time away from the spotlight to recover from addiction issues.

But Dec has tried to get back in his BFF's good books, claiming it was just a fling!

He quipped to The Guardian: "It was nice, it was one night… It was a one-night-stand!"

Holly won rave reviews for her performance but Dec has confirmed Ant will return this year, saying the This Morning star was filling in for 'one series only.'

Ant said: 'I couldn’t watch. It’s like watching him with another man!"

The pair are one of the nation's best loved double acts, working together for 30 years and have never presented apart - until last year.

Last May Ant cancelled all of his work commitments and checked into rehab following a car crash.

He was given a 20-month ban and paid £86k after pleading guilty to drink driving.

Dec admits at the time the pair did 'consider splitting up' as events took a toll on their friendship.

However Ant has already started work on the new series of Britain's Got Talent and is in line to travel to Australia with Dec later this year.

Dec hosted the last few episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway on his own but the pair will return together on the show next year.