Family caught up in Ant McPartlin drink drive crash breaks silence after four-year-old daughter was taken to hospital
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The family whose car was caught up in a head-on collision with Ant McPartlin's Mini have broken their silence.
Restaurant owner Faheem Vanoo and his chef wife Shilpa Dandekar were travelling with daughter Amaira, four, when the smash happened in Richmond, London, on Sunday.
Amaira was subsequently taken to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth, and her dad described the 'whole experience' as 'a nightmare'.
"It is not something that we ever expected, but we are just grateful that no one was hurt," he told the Daily Mail.
"'It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up."
With the police investigation ongoing, the 41-year-old revealed he has been told not to discuss 'certain things' and refused to confirm whether he has been contacted by Ant.
"But the main thing is that we are all safe. My daughter and wife are okay and were not injured," he continued. "She is fine. We are all okay."
(Image: Facebook)
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
It comes after Ant sensationally confirmed he's heading back to rehab following his drink drive arrest, with Saturday Night Takeaway now cancelled this week.
“Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments," a statement from Ant and Dec's rep said.
"He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ will not be going ahead this Saturday.”
ITV released its own statement, confirming this week's show will not go ahead, and that Dec may front the popular series alone for the remaining two weeks.
Did you see what happened at Ant's crash site? Email webcelebs@trinitymirror.com to tell your story
“ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec’s team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend," a spokesperson said.
“We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment. We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs.”
(Image: Daily Mirror)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
(Image: WENN.com)
Footage has emerged showing the 42-year-old looking shell shocked and unsteady on his feet just seconds after a three-car smash.
The TV favourite was nicked by cops after crashing his black Mini into two other vehicles on Sunday afternoon. He failed a roadside breathalyser test and was held in police custody for 10 hours for questioning.
And video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the star looking confused and dishevelled as he emerges from the crashed car.
His mum Christine Woodhall was in the car at the time, having gone for a walk with her son and their dogs at nearby Richmond Park. She returned to the west London home they now share since Ant's split from his wife Lisa Armstrong, and was seen leaving this morning to be smuggled away in a luxury Mercedes van.
Earlier today he was locked in 'crisis talks' with his management team hours after being arrested and held on suspicion of drink-driving.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Ant still has 18 months left of his three-year £30million 'golden handcuffs' deal with the TV company and had been scheduled to work on the three remaining episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent and November's I'm A Celebrity.
It was around this time last year that Ant's addictions to prescription painkillers and alcohol were really taking their toll on the telly star - which he came clean about in an emotional interview in July 2017.
A 'botched' knee operation had left Ant in agony and he'd turned to substance abuse to help cope with the pain.
Revealing his struggle to The Sun, he thanked his now estranged wife Lisa Armstrong for helping him though.
"I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this really difficult time. I was at the point where anything — prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs — I would take," he said in July.
"And take them with alcohol, which is ridiculous. The doctors told me, 'You could have killed yourself'. The great thing is I spoke to a lot of the medical team and I'm not an alcoholic. I was just drinking too much to numb the pain.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
(Image: Flynet)
(Image: Instagram/lisaamkup)
"It was never crazy — I wouldn't wake up in the morning and have a drink. But it was the mixing pills with alcohol that was deadly," he added.
Ant then entered a private rehab centre for drying-out treatment and seemed back to his normal self when he returned to TV screens in November for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
"I've taken a little break from booze — I've done two months and I’ll do a little bit longer," Ant revealed in the same interview.
"But I'm looking forward to having a pint. God, yes! I can't go to Australia and not have a cold one at the surf club with Dec like we normally do.
"That's something to look forward to but I have to get well first."