More Slap Bang for Ant and Dec

Ant and Dec: Another crack at prime time TV

Ant and Dec have been commissioned by ITV to make a new series of their Saturday night show Slap Bang - despite poor ratings and a critical drubbing.

And the TV pair's spokesman has slapped down reports that the presenters might be leaving their successful children's show SM:TV.

SM:TV's success in the Saturday morning slot has led to the BBC launching a revamped children's programme fronted by Dani Behr and Joe Mace.

Dog Eat Dog bit into Ant and Dec's audience

Ant and Dec's spokesman told BBC News Online: "Of course they will leave the show at some point - they won't do it forever.

"But they don't have a leaving date in mind and it won't be in the near future."

The spokesman said that the two presenters were signed to ITV rather than to the SM:TV programme alone.

The six-week series of Slap Bang was launched in May and pulled in nearly 4 million viewers on its first showing.

But the audience fell to 2.9 million by the time of its final airing.

BBC One's Dog Eat Dog with Ulrika Johnson proved a stronger draw, with an average of 5.5 million viewers.

'Beaten'

But the spokesman said that ITV had been happy with Ant and Dec's first venture into prime time TV.

"We were beaten by Ulrika Jonsson - but it was only a trial to see how they'd do in that spot.

"They handled it really well and ITV are really behind them.

"They have shown their faith by re-commissioning."

This autumn Ant and Dec are fronting the new ITV sequels to Popstars, called Pop Idol.

The new series of Slap Bang will not be shown until next year.