Simon Cowell has publicly supported Ant McPartlin – saying he has “manned up” by checking himself into rehab.
The 42-year-old presenter stepped back from his TV commitments and returned to rehab after being charged with drink-driving following a car crash.
Cowell told the Sun: “We’ve known each other a long time, and you stand by the people you work with over the years, for the obvious reasons.
“We always stand by our friends. We’re all human.
“The most important thing is he’s manned up, he’s going to get himself back together. And the show goes on, it’s as simple as that.”
Ant will appear alongside TV partner Declan Donnelly in the first episode of the new series of Britain’s Got Talent, which was pre-recorded, on Saturday night.
But he will be absent from the full week of live shows on the series.
Cowell, who returns as a judge on the ITV show, told the newspaper that Ant was welcome to return fully in 2019 after his stint in rehab.
“People, for whatever reason, they get into a rut and at times like this you stand by your mates. It’s always been that way,” he said.
Dec recently presented the final two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway without his on-screen partner.
Cowell added: “It shows Dec’s professionalism and what he feels about the show.”