Ant and Dec working on Saturday Night Takeaway 'replacement' weeks after final show

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are secretly brewing a new TV project to fill the void left by their popular show, Saturday Night Takeaway. The dynamic duo have trademarked the name 'Belta Box' for this venture, a term that resonates with their Newcastle roots, meaning 'excellent' in North East slang.

ITV's Saturday Night Takeaway concluded its run in April.

The trademark was registered by Ant and Dec's production company, Mitre Studios, during the same month. It encompasses TV, radio, online and podcast shows, as well as merchandise, enabling Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, both 48, to capitalise on the show's fame.

An insider from the television industry commented: "Everything Ant and Dec does turns to gold and this is sure to be another success."

Mitre Studios also holds trademarks for Ant and Dec's ITV game show Limitless Win and online show Taste Mates. The company stated: "Taste Mates and Belta Box are digital projects that will tap into the Mitre core values of being fun and engaging", reports the Mirror.

This development follows Ant and Dec's announcement that their Saturday night show would be taking a break. The long-standing game show has been a staple on ITV since 2002, producing over 130 episodes across an impressive 20 seasons.

However, as the adage goes, all good things must come to an end - and last year, show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly stunned fans by announcing they would conclude the show in 2024.

Audiences were engrossed in the latest season which ran from February to April, with plenty of interactive opportunities such as exciting competitions.

The live studio audience was delighted by ingenious game show skits, while sentimental moments created touching scenes during 'The Happiest Minute Of The Week', where altruistic individuals were rewarded with extravagant prizes.

However, the popular show drew its curtains on 13 April. Ant McPartlin previously revealed to their fans as to why they decided to conclude it, stating, "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."

Then Dec Donnelly chimed in, asserting, "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."

An enthusiastically Ant added, "Next year in 2024 it will be the 20th series of Saturday Night Takeaway and we've got some very special look-backs planned, as well as some very exciting new items."

Dec further expounded, "And we've also decided that our 20th series next year will be our last one for a little while.

"The show takes up such a lot of our year, we just feel we need a little bit of a breather, and that the show is going to take a little bit of a rest."

The dynamic duo reassured viewers that they had a host of delights in store for the final episodes - hinting it may not be the end forever. Ant concluded at the time: "But before that though, we've got the 20th series to plan."