‘I think we realised it was a statement to a degree, but I don’t think we realised how big a statement it was until afterwards,’ Declan Donnelly – one half of Ant and Dec – tells me as we meet in their dressing room.
Ant McPartlin and his teammate of the last 30 years, Dec, are without a doubt the country’s most cherished and valued presenters. Everything they touch brings in millions of viewers, they’re easily the safest bet for success – but they haven’t earned their unbroken record of 24 NTAs for best presenter by avoiding risks. Even when they didn’t know how big a risk they were taking.
The statement Dec is referring to took many by surprise.
On February 19, 2022, at the end of an episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, And and Dec introduced Lady Antionette and Miss Donna Lee to viewers – their new drag queen personas.
For the LGBTQ+ community, it was a big deal – much bigger than they knew. Even two years on over the Christmas period, just the appearance of any drag queen on mainstream television sparked enough complaints to be trending across social media – mainly X.
When trans people, drag queens and the LGBTQ+ community are being scrutinised beyond the realms of rationality and common sense, Ant and Dec celebrated it with such authenticity and care that it meant the world. They essentially said, ‘we’ve got your back’ when it felt braver than it should to say so.
Inevitably, they were hit with Ofcom complaints. One critic wrote on X – then Twitter: ‘This is totally inappropriate for a family entertainment show #SaturdayNightTakeaway.’
And they weren’t alone. Hundreds echoed the same sentiment.
But it became one of the most important things Ant and Dec had ever done.
Ants says: ‘The people stopping you and talking to us about it afterwards was huge – more so than any other end of the show-show.’
‘It meant more than we realised,’ Dec agrees.
‘We’ve always had a good relationship with the community, and even back in the days of PJ and Duncan playing G-A-Y, we always loved doing that. But we definitely felt a real sense of appreciation after we did the drag, especially from younger people just saying that meant such a lot.’
It meant so much, they’ve been in serious talks to step into those heels again.
When the mention of Mighty Hoopla, London’s biggest celebration of queer culture, comes up, their representative who conveniently happens to also represent the Brixton festival, chimes in: ‘We have talked about it. I’ve been working on a plan…’
‘The plan was to bring the girls back,’ Dec confirmed. ‘Miss Donna Lee and Lady Antionette to do Mighty Hoopla. And we’re like, “it took us four in hours to get into that.” I’ve got a new found respect for anybody in high heels.’
I loved it – I instantly looked 20 years younger
Quote Quote
Ant seems keener. ‘Oh, I loved it. I loved the that makeup artist Raven (RuPaul’s personal make-up artist) did my make-up and I instantly looked 20 years younger.
‘It’s tough though, it’s a skill so we had to put rehearsals into it, a lot of time and effort. We wanted to come up with personas and all of it – you can’t just whack on a frock and think suddenly you’re a drag artist. We learned a lot that week.’
Ant and Dec have built a brand by being deadly unserious on camera, but don’t be fooled – they are the tour de force of television. They’ve built their empire through cheeky grins and incredible foresight as the country’s favourite presenters but also as two of the most innovative brains in television.
Their production company Mitre is behind ITV’s DNA Journey, the revamped In For A Penny, Saturday Night Takeaway and their latest huge success, Limitless Win. Their track record of success is second to none.
One theme that runs through all of Ant and Dec’s shows is ambition and scope like no other, be it the biggest variety show of all time (BGT), finding Britain’s biggest pop star (Pop Idol) or being the first to throw celebrities into a jungle and feed them kangaroo testicles (I’m A Celebrity).
Limitless Win follows the trend. It’s exactly the adrenaline-pumping game show needed to brighten a miserable January and returns this weekend.
Its stakes can be higher than any other game show ever televised in Britain, with a skies-the-limit jackpot capable of bankrupting ITV. Contestants climb a money ladder by tackling difficult but everyday questions where the answer will always be a number such as ‘how many pieces are in a chocolate orange?’ (It’s 20).
Ant says: ‘I’d be lying if ITV didn’t say they were nervous but we’re on the side of the contestant, we want them to go as high as possible. Part of you as the host of the show we want to give away the most TV show ever given away in the world.’
Last year the show gave away £1.75million, including £1million for one couple alone. Does anyone have the nerve to walk away with even more money this series?
‘You have to tune in,’ Dec smirks. ‘I can say that we get further up the ladder than we’ve ever been. On two occasions, we’re up right up there in seven figures.’
By their own admission, it’s the perfect game show when ‘you don’t have to be very clever’.
‘There is a huge portion of the audience who are never going to become a millionaire on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, because none of us know those questions,’ says Ant. ‘But on this, you never know, and it’s important that the whole family can play along.’
That’s essentially the magic behind all of their shows, they’re just fun and don’t try to be anything else. There’s a place for Mastermind and Dec laughs: ‘That’s not our place.’
It’s the fun factor which is partly why Limitless Win is following perhaps the best series of I’m A Celebrity for a long time after years when the enjoyment was eclipsed by backlash towards two of the most loathed politicians in the UK, Nigel Farage and Matt Hancock.
Hancock was looking for redemption, and probably feels like he got it after coming in third place. Farage was reportedly the highest-paid contestant ever at the time but no doubt he saw it as his chance to engage with the public on the biggest platform possible.
Ratings dipped, I’m A Celebrity was scrutinised like never before and partly blamed for the resurgence of Farage who managed to win a seat in parliament in the 2024 general election for the first time after eight attempts.
I’m A Celebrity needed a reset and the boys asked for one.
‘It was quite polarising and skewed the series a little bit,’ Dec says.
‘It was halfway through last year, and we spoke to producers and said, “Next year let’s do a series without any politicians, let’s just get it back to how it was, and let’s see how it feels to do that.” And they were like, “Yeah, okay.” They were completely on board with that.’
And it worked. I’m A Celebrity was completely revitalised with its best ever cast, boasting the likes of Coleen Rooney, Tulisa Contostavlos, Reverend Richard Coles and Oti Mabuse – all incredibly likeable characters with fascinating lives.
Or as Ant puts it bluntly: ‘There were no dullards.’
‘In previous years we’d get four or five days into it and you go, “Oh, my God, there’s been no argument.” And this year, I didn’t want them to argue,’ says Dec.
‘It’s a new generation of audience coming through, who love I’m A Celebrity, which is incredible. That’s series 24 and for so many people to say to us that it’s been their favourite series for a number of years, it’s incredible.’
As a millennial whose weekend revolved around Ant and Dec, even at 37 it’s oddly confronting hearing about new generations discovering their shows now.
They were such an integral part of childhoods in the late 90s and 00s and they’ve hardly been off-screen ever since.
But for much younger audience, they’ve never experienced anything like the special bond between Ant and Dec to wake up to on Saturday mornings. They’re often glued to an iPad, in their own world.
SM:TV was a stroke of genius, absolute chaos but it never missed a beat and if it did that was part of its charm. When Live and Kicking was for kids and kids alone, Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley took children’s television to an entirely new league. Like their most successful shows now, it was TV for the whole family to wake up to.
Of their extensive back catalogue, it’s the show Ant is most keen to bring back, with new talent at the helm.
‘I don’t think we could host it now, we’d have to let a younger generation do it. We feel passionately that those kind of Saturday morning TV shows on terrestrial telly are important to kids, as important now as when we were growing up. It’s where you see your music, it’s where you see all your cultural references, it’s where you are informed about what other kids like to watch and see and so you feel like you should become a fan too.
‘It would be great if somebody bucked the trend of cooking shows.’
I mention that I’m personally gunning for a Pop Idol revival.
‘I think music is desperate for something like that too,’ says Dec. ‘The music industry needs an artist to come through that everybody can get behind. I think the music industry needs it and I think telly needs it.’
For now though, they have big plans in the pipeline. Despite the most successful careers in television, perhaps of anyone in the UK ever, they still have a few boxes left to tick off.
They look at each other with their signature mischief though when asked what they might be.
Ant anxiously explains: ‘We’ll be spending a lot more time developing things for us and for other people. I don’t want to give too much away because there are definitely certain things…’
Dec interrupts: ‘That’s a good answer just there…’
One milestone they can’t keep a secret though is their next birthdays. Somehow Ant and Dec will be 50 in 2025 but they have very different approaches ahead of turning the big 5-0.
‘I’m alright with it,’ Ant shrugs. ‘I’m pleased I’m still around and we’re still enjoying what we do, and have lovely families and loving kids. I’m very grateful.
‘You on the other hand…’
Dec winces at the mention of 50. ‘I had a bit of a mini meltdown turning 30, and then I was better turning 40,’ he says, but soon comes around.
‘I remember waking up on my 30th birthday and going, “Oh, I’m exactly the same. Nothing’s changed.” So I was kind of a much more accepting of turning 40 and then 50 am, like, whatever.
‘Maybe that is where we are now, we’re settled, I remember waking up on my 30th birthday and kind of open a morning and go, “Oh, I’m exactly the same. Nothing’s changed.” So I’m alright with it, got a couple of kids, I’m actually having a really nice time.
‘I’m loving what we’re doing. I’m loving work, really enjoying work, really enjoying my home life. So I’m alright with it.’
But in agreement, they add: ‘Ask us again next August…’
Limitless Win returns Saturday at 8.30pm with another episode following Sunday at 8pm on ITV.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.