Girls Aloud started the very last episode of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in style, with the foursome acting as Star Guest Announcers for the ITV show’s swan song.
The ITV series is going out in style with the biggest show in its 22-year history, after Ant and Dec confirmed they would be putting the series back on hiatus.
Ahead of the start of their reunion tour next month, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts stunned in a series of stunning looks.
Showing off her incredible figure, Cheryl donned a sheer black lace bodysuit with leather flares and her glossy brunette locks in a curly ponytail.
While Nicola opted for a revealing light pink dress, Kimberley donned a plunging black suit.
Girls Aloud kicked off the last ever episode of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in style, with the foursome acting as Star Guest Announcers for the ITV show’s swan song
Before kicking off their reunion tour next month, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts wowed in a series of stunning looks
To complete the band’s glamorous ensembles, Nadine was dressed to impress in a daring white cut-out dress.
Opening the show, Girls Aloud joked that Declan Donnelly had agreed to pay for the entire finale, prompting cheers from the audience but an incredulous response from the presenter himself.
It’s undoubtedly a full-circle moment for the band, who made several appearances on Takeaway during their heyday, but were also made fun of in a hilarious Undercover segment.
The group confirmed news of the tour in November last year and will hit the road next month and June to celebrate 21 years since their formation.
The show will reportedly feature nods to their iconic looks, including Jean Paul Gaultier’s red sequin dresses and bustier ensembles from their 2013 greatest hits show Ten: The Hits Tour – their sixth tour.
Sources told The Sun: ‘This tour is a celebration of Girls Aloud’s music and a tribute to late bandmate Sarah Harding, so it will be packed with nostalgia…
‘They’ve been reminiscing by looking at photos from their old tours and using their outfits from back then as inspiration…
‘Some of the old looks were really sexy, including their Gaultier-inspired corset dresses and the bright red sequin dresses…
Saturday Night Takeaway goes out in style with the biggest show in its 22-year history after Ant and Dec confirmed they would be putting the show back on hiatus
Showing off her incredible figure, Cheryl (far left) slipped into a sheer black lace bodysuit and leather flares with her glossy brunette locks pulled into a curled ponytail
While Nicola (second from left) opted for a revealing pale pink dress, Kimberley (second from right) donned a plunging black suit
Complementing the band’s glamorous ensembles, Nadine (far right) was dressed to impress in a daring white cut-out dress
“They want to make sure there are kinks in this. It was so exciting for them to put the finishing touches on the tour and see everything come together.”
When announcing the tour in November, the foursome revealed that the group has not recorded any new music, but simply wants to celebrate their back catalogue.
Cheryl revealed they had been discussing the plans for some time, but put the idea on hold when Sarah Harding – who died in September 2021 – was diagnosed with cancer.
She said in a statement: “We all started talking a few years ago about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20th anniversary. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing to celebrate.
‘But when Sarah got sick, all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon.”
The group plans to use the tour to “celebrate” their late friend.
It comes after Ant and Dec admitted leaving the iconic show was far from an easy decision as they discussed their emotional farewell during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning.
Speaking to presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary about the latest extravaganza, the pair explained that it felt like ‘the right time’ to leave the iconic show ‘on a high’.
Praising the 22 years of broadcasting, Dec said: ‘When we first came to the decision to leave it alone – and we did it because 20 series seemed like a good time to do it – we told our management first.
‘We said, ‘We want to leave it alone, but we reserve the right to change our mind several times between now and then,’ and we did that. But I think deep down we know it’s the right thing to do.”
Ant agreed, repeating: “For the show and for us personally, it’s the right thing at the right time.”
While teasing a slew of highly anticipated surprises for the grand finale, the Geordie duo admitted they are still unsure if the show will ever return to the screen.
Opening the show, Girls Aloud joked that Declan Donnelly had agreed to pay for the entire finale, which drew cheers from the audience.
Due to the combination of live, high energy and feel-good fun, the format has won several BAFTA and National Television Awards since its launch in 2002.
Cherishing their memories of the show, Ant said: “You want to make sure you get enough new stuff and fun stuff in so it’s not just a throwback.
“We don’t know when the show will come back and we don’t know if we’ll ever do Ant versus Dec again, so whoever wins is the ultimate!”, Dec added.
The presenting pair also admitted there will be “tears” once the show wraps, and that it has been “quite difficult” in the final days before airing.
Ant said: “I’m sure there will be tears. It’s been pretty hard this week, knowing that this is the last week of rehearsals and script meetings and all that.
“So far we’ve kind of kept an eye on it. Until we got here and saw the stage, we thought, oh, it seems final.’
Last year, Ant and Dec announced they would be quitting Saturday Night Takeaway ahead of its 20th series, shocking their fans across the country.
The pair will continue their exclusive working relationship with ITV, hosting hit shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win, all of which air on ITV1 and ITVX.
Ant said at the time: “We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the 20 series milestone seemed like the perfect time to pause and catch our breath.”
Dec added: ‘We still have a memorable 20th series to look forward to, so we’ll do our best to go out with a bang (for now) in 2024!’
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, produced by Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios) and Miter Studios, returns for its 20th series next year.
The series has spawned numerous iconic segments including Win the Ads, Undercover, Get Out Of Me Ear, The End of Show Show and the Happiest Minute of the Week.