10 things you probably didn’t know about Ant and Dec

You may be surprised at some of these

Published 17th Jun 2016
Last updated 29th Jan 2019

To celebrate the announcement that Ant and Dec are set to receive an OBE from the Queen, we have found ten things you might not have known about the lovely Geordie duo.

1. They become friends through football. Believe it or not the pair didn’t get along at first but it was their joint love for football and in particular their local team Newcastle United that bonded the pair together. According to reports Ant invited Dec along to Newcastle’s boxing day match in 1990 and the rest is history.

Declan Donnelly, Jonathan Wilkes, Ant McPartlin | © PA Images

2. They are neighbours. Not only do they work together but Ant and Dec actually live just three doors away from each other in West London! They also have holiday homes next door to each other in sunny Portugal.

Ant and Dec | © @antanddec Twitter

3. They bet who would be the first to get married. When they were just 15, the pair bet £50 who would be the first to get married. Ant was forced to pay Dec the money when he tied the knot in 2006 to Lisa Armstrong. Dec married Ali Astall in August last year.

Declan Donnelley and Ali Astall | © PA Images

4. They were caught up in a war zone. After flying to Afghanistan to present a British solider with a Pride of Britain award, the pair found themselves under attack when the Taliban bombed the airport whilst they were there.

5. They have life insurance against each other. In the awful event that one of them dies, the other will receive a pay out as they both have life insurance against each other.

Ant and Dec | © PA Images

6. They have been sued before. The boys were sued by an American comedian (who also had the name Ant) for using his name during their time in America. Unsurprisingly the allegations of fraud were dismissed!

7. A huge amount of people mix them up. After a poll found that 70% of viewers were unable to tell the boys apart, Dec admitted standing in the same positions is a useful way to help out the public.

8. They bought the rights to Byker Grove. It was the show which kick-started their careers but Ant and Dec reportedly bought the rights to Byker Grove when the production company went bust. Could we see a Byker Grove reunion?

9. They were music stars. Before they became the kings of presenting, Ant and Dec (Aka PJ and Duncan) enjoyed an extensive music career. The pair released sixteen singles and three album including the biggest hit to date ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rumble’.

10. They hold a record at the National Television Awards. The loveable duo hold an incredible record of winning ‘Most Popular Entertainment/TV Presenter’ for a massive 15 consecutive years. Will they ever be beaten?

Ant and Dec are set to receive their OBE’s a ceremony later in the year.