Viewers of Saturday Night Takeaway have a new favourite moment after witnessing presenter Declan Donnelly dive into a bath of frigid ice water.
This weekend’s show (March 25) featured the return of Ant vs Dec, which sees Geordie host Dec compete against co-star Ant McPartlin in a series of tasks, with the winner receiving a trophy and the loser accepting a forfeit.
The long-time pals were entrusted with a simple question as Stephen Mulhern hosted the part of the wild programme.
Ant and Dec were given themes ranging from Monopoly locales to Britain’s Got Talent winners and had to confidently name a number of things in that area.
The individual claiming to know the most had to name as many as they could while being cranked one degree closer to an ice bath if they tripped at any moment.
Similarly, if they were successful in naming the number they claimed they could, their opponent would be moved.
Unfortunately for Ant, it wasn’t his game at all, as he ended up firmly in the bath of ice cubes while Dec was way up in the air.
Naturally, the TV star screamed and pulled a series of hysterical expressions, in shock at how cold the bath actually was.
Meanwhile, Dec remained smug at the top, satisfied that he wouldn’t be getting dunked after having ‘sleepless nights’ over the fear.
But where there’s a Stephen Mulhern, there’s a way, as the In For a Penny frontman decided to give Dec a cheeky dip anyway.
‘We can’t leave it there, can we?’, Stephen teased, just as Dec thought he was home dry.
‘Get him in, get him in!’, Ant chanted, as the studio audience begged to see Dec dunked also.
‘Don’t you dare, don’t you dare,’ Dec begged, but his desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.
‘Stephen, don’t you dare! Stop it, stop it!’, he shouted, before being submerged in the horrifically cold bath.
But it was all worth it in the end, since Dec’s face was a picture.
‘I’m gonna smash your face in!’, he threatened Stephen, with Ant in fits of laughter, despite still freezing himself.
Viewers at home were also in hysterics, as one person tweeted: ‘This is going down as one of the funniest moments to ever happen on #SaturdayNightTakeaway’.
‘Dec fully thought Stephen would stop it right before he hit the bath, best bit of telly I’ve seen in ages’, another laughed.
‘This was absolutely hysterical’, one added, with another echoing: ‘Absolutely belly laughing. Hilarious’.
‘Hahahaha Dec being lowered into the ice bath is the most I’ve laughed at a TV programme in a long time! Highlight of the series!’, a fan penned.
Fortunately, Dec was able to dry off and complete the concert – but we have a feeling he won’t be forgiving Stephen anytime soon!
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway returns next Saturday at 7pm on ITV.