The BRIT Awards 2016: Ant and Dec reveal that this will be their last year as hosts

Last time: Ant and Dec will step down as Brit Awards hosts
LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
Jennifer Ruby24 February 2016
The Weekender

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Ant and Dec have revealed that this will be the last time they host the Brit Awards.

The Geordie duo, who will take to the stage to present the music awards ceremony on Wednesday evening, won’t be back next year.

Speaking to BBC’s Newsbeat, the presenting pair explained that they had planned to bow out last year but were so impressed with the line-up that they signed up again.

“We had a great time last year, we were only going to do it one year,” said Declan Donelly.

“Then they went 'oh we've got Coldplay and we've got Adele and we've got Rihanna' and we're like 'alright we'll do it one more time'."

"I went 'I'm still holding out' and then they went 'we've got Justin Bieber' and then I said 'ok I am in guys'."

Ant McPartlin explained that their other commitments meant that they wouldn’t be returning to the host the 2017 ceremony.

BRIT Awards 2016 nominations party

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“It is a really busy time of year for us, we are doing Britain's Got Talent auditions and we are doing (Saturday Night) Takeaway,” he said.

“When you are hosting [the Brits] you have got to commit to it, there's a lot of script writing leading up to it, then there is rehearsal time and you want to do it right.”

He added: “So we've had one great year and hopefully another good year and hopefully we can end on a high.”

Ant and Dec have also ruled themselves of hosting this year’s X Factor after Olly Murs and Caroline Flack stepped down.

“We did the original Pop Idol, so I don’t think we could go back to do a singing show,” McPartlin explained.

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