New photographs have emerged of the high-octane Saturday Night Takeaway challenge that left Declan Donnelly winging in agony.

The unfortunate injury took place when co-hosts Ant and Dec, 48, were both challenged with climbing up two metal towers which were suspended high in the air at London’s Television Centre, where the programme is filmed.

But Dec’s manhood became trapped in his harness as he was lowered down to the ground, leaving him gasping in pain and stumbling around as he tried to recover.

Television presenter Stephen Mulhern, 46, who sported a bald head while dressed as Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films, was refereeing the game, with the star exclaiming as he watched Dec: ‘Oh he looks in pain!’

Photos of the challenge reveal the full extent of the task, as the presenters raced to climb the towering metal structures.

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New photographs have emerged of the high-octane Saturday Night Takeaway challenge that left Declan Donnelly winging in agony

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The unfortunate injury took place when co-hosts Ant and Dec , 48, were both challenged with climbing up two metal towers which were suspended high in the air at London’s Television Centre, where the programme is filmed

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Photos of the challenge reveal the full extent of the task, as the presenters raced to climb the towering metal structures

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Dec (right) was left in agony as following the unfortunate injury

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Stephen Mulhern, who sported a bald head while dressed as Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films, was refereeing

A worried Ant asked Dec: ‘Are you ok?’, to while he simply replied: ‘Yeah.’

Ant asked him: ‘Did you get your balls stuck?’

All Dec could do was nod his head in response.

Ant and Dec had viewers in tears as they returned for the last ever series of their show Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.

The television presenting duo made a return to the screens on the programme which first aired in 2002.

ITV‘s live variety show sees the return of popular segments including undercover prank, with music mogul Simon Cowell as the first victim.

Throwing back to the past, they shared a picture of themselves from the very first series, from June 8 2002 – their first show.

Dec opened the show, saying: ‘Hello and welcome to a brand new series of your Saturday Night Takeaway.’

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A worried Ant asked Dec: ‘Are you ok?’, to while he simply replied: ‘Yeah.’

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Dec’s manhood became trapped in his harness as he was lowered down to the ground, leaving him gasping in pain and stumbling around as he tried to recover

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Ant asked him: ‘Did you get your balls stuck? (Dec assured viewers he was okay)

After they were greeted by rapturous applause, Ant said: ‘You’re a brilliant audience – welcome to the show everyone and welcome to series 20.’

Dec added: ‘I actually can’t believe the first episode of Saturday Night Live was almost 22 year ago,’ before they showed a photo of the pair from their first show.

They also gave viewers a look at guest commentator Stephen Merchant from the same year that the show launched.

Ant and Dec, both 48, welcomed a deserving studio audience, who had raised £14million for various charities between them, with the audience getting a holiday each

The opening scenes left fans of the show emotional as it dawned on them there were only a few episodes left to air, ever.

Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: ’10 mins int #SaturdayNightTakeaway and I’m crying. So nice giving away all those holidays.’

Someone else shared: ‘Only 30 mins in and i am already crying. i can already tell this will be the biggest and best series yet.

‘So glad the boys are back! What an amazing start to the show, sitting here in tears, just amazing,’ wrote another viewer.

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Dec said ‘I actually can’t believe the first episode of Saturday Night Live was almost 22 year ago,’ before they showed a photo of the pair from their first show (pictured)

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They also gave viewers a look at guest commentator Stephen Merchant from the same year that the show launched

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Stephen looked cheerful in his picture from more than two decades ago

Someone else shared: ‘#SaturdayNightTakeaway making me cry at 7.15 on a Saturday evening.’

While someone else wrote: ‘Omg – crying already! Never seen the boys look so serious yet so genuine. Well played!!!

Another viewer posted: ‘Oh how brilliant I’m crying already.’

While someone else shared: ’10 minutes in, and I’m already crying happy tears! Thanks.’

And another viewer wrote: ‘Saturday night takeaway making me cry happy tears already.’

Simon Cowell became a victim of Ant and Dec’s famous undercover prank for a second time on the show.

The music mogul was the duo’s first prank victim in 2003, when they pretended to be a funny audition on US singing competition American Idol, on which Simon was a judge.

To mark the 20th series of the show, the duo returned to the States to prank Cowell on his bike ride and during filming for America’s Got Talent.

The opening scenes left fans of the show emotional as it dawned on them there were only a few episodes left to air, ever

The first prank saw Cowell interrupted on his morning cycle by a fake police officer who accused him of breaking a series of made-up misdemeanours, including not having his bike painted in the correct colours for the Mailibu, California area.

While the second stage saw the music producer being pranked on America’s Got Talent in front of a live audience when a fake magician act got him to get into a metal box on stage which they locked with chains, with the masked performer pretending to swallow the keys.

However, they pretended to Simon that the key had got stuck in the performer’s throat, which left him unimpressed.

The America’s Got Talent stage crew members then pretended to attempt to cut him free with a chainsaw and just before they were going to use explosives, Ant and Dec took to the stage in disguise as the masked performers before revealing they were behind the prank, causing Cowell to say: ‘I am going to kill you.’

Ant and Dec have said they are taking a break from Saturday Night Takeaway ‘to spend some time’ with their families.

Ant married Anne-Marie Corbett in 2021 while Dec shares two children, five-year-old daughter Isla and 18-month-old Jack, with his wife Ali Astall.

The award-winning presenting duo announced last year they would be stepping back from the show after the 20 series milestone as they said it seemed like the ‘perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath’.

Speaking to Fault magazine, Ant said: ‘Part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family.

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To mark the 20th series of the show, the duo returned to the States to prank Cowell on his bike ride (pictured) and during filming for America’s Got Talent

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The first prank saw Cowell interrupted on his morning cycle by a fake police officer who accused him of breaking a series of made-up misdemeanours

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While the second stage saw the music producer being pranked on America’s Got Talent in front of a live audience when a fake magician act got him to get into a metal box on stage

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They pretended to Simon that the key had got stuck in the performer’s throat, which left him unimpressed

‘We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.’

It has been reported that Ant and Anne-Marie are expecting their first child together.

Anne-Marie also has two teenage daughters from her previous relationship.

Ant and Dec have been working together for more than 30 years, starting out on teen drama Byker Grove.

They launched Saturday Night Takeaway in 2002, with the show pausing for a period in 2009, before returning four years later in 2013.

It has received multiple Bafta and National Television Awards (NTA), including presenting accolades for the Geordie duo.

The show consists of a selection of comical games, participation from studio audience members or unsuspecting members of the public, with a musical or dance performance to finish.

The pair are set to continue their working relationship with ITV, as hosts of popular shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win.

Reflecting on their next moves, Ant said: ‘We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now.

‘Like I say, we’re turning 49, and what do we want to do next? What’s the next phase of our career?

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The award-winning presenting duo announced last year they would be stepping back from the show after the 20 series milestone, with And and his wife Anne-Marie Corbett having a baby (pictured at their 2021 wedding)