Ant and Dec- will it now be just Dec? Celebrity gossip alert

Then I have every sympathy for the hurt that must have caused you MissA

My daughter crashed a car whilst drunk.
Did she gave mitigating circumstances? Yes, I think so - far moreso than knee pain.
The fact remains. She was pissed. She drove. She got caught.

Well said Jane

The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes means before judging someone, you must understand his experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc. The full idiom is: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. In effect, it is a reminder to practice empathy.

It must be very relaxing to be such black and white thinkers! Life's not generally so straightforward especially. Give him a break- he may have money but that's all.

Peardrop50 then you have obviously never suffered from chronic severe pain 24/7 for months or longer..it takes over your life and makes what life you have unbearable.But be judgemental although all those other scenarios you list are of course awful it doesn't make his less significant to him and his family.I hope you never have to watch any of your family suffer with an ongoing condition where pain is destroying their life

Exactly MissA.

He was pissed. He drove. He got caught.

paddyann I entirely agree!

In answer to OP questions:

3 strikes and they are out- they may come back from this one because they are so loved and revered but another serious misdemeanor and that will be it, in my opinion.
Yes I do care.
Dec to finish the 2 shows with the already supporting presenters, Stephen and Scarlett, with a different format. They may bring another seasoned presenter in.

The situation is very sad on many levels including what could have been very serious fatalities in the accident.

Addiction is a very serious thing and controls the individual and those around it. I suspect his mam was there to support him through what is still a difficult time. She would not have been able to just take his keys away.
Addiction isn't someone just having one too many one night.

For those who do watch their shows and there are a lot commenting on here who do not, I wonder if the accident with the big trucks where he had clearly hurt his arm set him off on the pain killer route again.

I feel very sad for all concerned and hope that Ant finds the solace, control and all the strength needed to get through this. We can only imagine how Dec is feeling right now and his concern for his beloved pal.

All the prescription painkillers now come with clear warnings about not driving. Drinking and driving is just stupid - where would his career be if he had killed someone? And actually you can take the keys away from your grown up son if you are really worried about what they are doing.

Walking across a desert with a starving child on your back looking for food and water.
Sleeping rough during the beast from the east.
Listening to a bomb coming towards your building in Syria.
Fame and fortune and a pain in your knee, oh diddums

paddyann I agree with your post - money and success don't always bring happiness.

However, he should have been responsible enough to know that he should not have got behind the wheel of a car because he has recognised his problems and had received treatment for them.
The treatment he received last year after nearly dying obviously did not have a long-lasting effect. The trouble is that people who are addicted to alcohol will often deny they still have a problem.

Drunk drivers should receive the full force of the law imo.
Perhaps known alcoholics should have their driving licenses taken away so they are not a danger to themselves or anyone else.

I cannot believe the excuses put out for someone who has blatantly broken the law. His PR would have advised to return to rehab as it would look better to his public. If my grandchild was in the car, hurt or not I would be so angry that their lives could have been put in danger by this idiot.

Very judgmental comments on here. We know they are very wealthy but we have no idea what they do with it - for all we know they may be donating huge amounts to charities privately as George Michael did, give them a break instead of being judge and jury without any info on this.

I think he has just had a rough couple of years ,constant pain followed by an operation that left him in more pain..hence the painkillers .His doctor was obviously too happy to keep prescribing the very strong painkillers which led to his addiction.Maybe if his GP had said we need to find a different way to treat this none of the rest of his problems would have happened.Just be grateful its not you or one of your kids struggling ...my daughter has chronic pain constantly and is on a ridiculous amount of pills for her conditions.On a rare good day she will drive to the nearest town but not if she's had all the medication she's SUPPOSED to take as it causes what she calls brain fog .Maybe Ant has brain fog ...maybe he's just had a relapse ...whatever happened he must be scared enough after the accident to want to get his problems dealt with properly this time.I think it will be even more difficult for him as he and his wife had reportedly been trying for a baby for 17 years with no luck..and to have an accident that involved a child will likely have hit him hard.I wish him only well.Regardless of his wealth and fame he is a young man who has had more than his share of sorrows recently.

That's true, I hadn't even thought of the possibility of not working. That's a pretty good place to be, at Ant's age.

MissA with that sort of money, they don't even need to work at all. Well I wouldn't anyway.

They could so easily volunteer, raise awareness, do something for others, that sort of thing.... like ordinary people do all the time. And who is happier? Them or us?

Someone said you can’t blame his mum you can’t take the keys away from a grown man well you don’t have to get in the car with him!
Magrithea it’s their choice to be on the tv and earns lots and lots of money and adoration no ones twisting their arms why on earth would you suggest the reason Ant is an idiot who could have killed a family is because he’s been on the tv since he was young never heard such twaddle
If the heats too hot get out the kitchen

Think he’s just burnt himself out, both of them have been going for so long that he can’t cope. When he was on Saturday night takeaway this week, he looked manic.
So over the top probably came back too early.

Any celebrity who finds it all too much has the choice to walk away, give it up, and spend 40 odd hours at work a week, just like everyone else.

Maritia... I have thought on.... he still broke the law. Famous or infamous it makes no difference.

Is it any wonder he find solace in drink given the pressure he and others in the public eye are under - he and Dec have been on TV since they were young (Byker Grove I think) and probably didn't get much support in their early days. Look at all your comments and think on.....

I would imagine his mum didn't know about the extent of his drinking. He is hardly likely to say "I've had a skinful, mum, lets go out for a drive."
Its obviously been kept well under wraps until now.

Who is Ant? I have lots on my patio!

Well considering that so many people have rushed to say they never watch them and hate their accents, there have been a lot of posts. Nobody would condone drinking and driving, you can't blame his mother, she probably pleaded with him not to drive and you couldn't force a grown man to give up the keys if he didn't want to. They should have got a taxi but it's easy to be wise after the event. It may we'll be the end of his career, but they've had a good run, who knows. He will certainly be having huge regrets now. I am only pleased that no one was badly hurt. I only ever knew one person who lost their license through drinking and driving and they never ever drank and drove again.