Ant and Dec tipped to top 'Doctor Who'

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway is expected to triumph over the new Doctor Who series in the ratings tonight.

Both shows will take to the air at 7pm in a heated head-to-head battle. Although the BBC's cult sci-fi series has been hotly anticipated, bookies think that an appearance by David Beckham will give ITV1 the edge.

"Money suggests Ant and Dec will takeaway the highest ratings but we haven't seen such an intense battle for viewers on Saturday night since the finals of Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor went head-to-head at the end of last year," Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush told Digital Spy.

"The fact that David Beckham is a guest of the Geordie due looks set to give ITV1 victory this weekend but who knows what will happen if the cult of Dr Who grips the nation. Saturday Night Takeaway is dominated by Ant versus Dec but it's not about the rivalry between them now, it's about seeing off a threat from a different galaxy. They've got to hope the Tardis crash lands and fails in its mission to deliver prime time success for BBC1."