Why did Little Ant and Dec quit Saturday Night Takeaway and where are the original actors now?

FOR the past five years, Little Ant and Dec have been a key part of Saturday Night Takeaway, to the point of stealing the spotlight from the show's main men.

Now they're hanging up their mini blazers and here's why...

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Who are Little Ant and Dec?

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have had their own mini-mes on their hit ITV show since 2003.

They hired child stars to play their younger counterparts who they would send in their place to carry out high-profile interviews.

Neil Overend and Hadyn Reid were the second duos to play the roles.

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Why are they leaving?

A source at ITV revealed the duo have "outgrown their role" and are now aiming to focus more on their studies.

Neil is moving on to high school and Haydn is preparing for his SATS therefore the decision was agreed to engineer their exit from the show.

The pair also felt that they had left the show on a high after filming the live finale at Walt Disney World last year.

So far, producers have decided not to cast a new Little Ant and Dec however that could still change.

What happened to the original Little Ant and Dec?

The duo have had their own mini-mes on the hit ITV show since 2003.

The original Little Ant and Dec, James Pallister and Dylan McKenna-Redshaw, joined the show in 2003 and held the roles for 10 years.

They interviewed a number of famous celebrities in their time including George Clooney, and infamously, Bruce Willis.

The pair returned after a hiatus in 2013 to help pick their replacements.

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When did Saturday Night Takeaway return?

The all-conquering presenting duo returned on ITV for the show's 15th series on Saturday, February 24, and the show continues every weekend.

Scarlett Moffatt has returned alongside the Geordie duo for the new series after taking over from Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts.

Speaking to OK! magazine about the show, the former Gogglebox star said:"It’s like a big family at ITV, with Ant and Dec. Every week I learn something new."