Ant and Dec back home for new book signing

Sep 19 2009 by Gordon Barr, The Journal

TV DUO Ant and Dec are back home in Newcastle today to sign copies of their autobiography.

The pair have been working together for 20 years and decided the time was ripe to tell their tale in their own words.

Months of trips to the pub and chilling in each other’s houses have resulted in Ooh! What A Lovely Pair, copies of which the duo will be signing today at Waterstone’s in Blackett Street.

“We’ve had offers to do a book every year for the last five years from different publishing companies, but we never wanted to do a tell-all autobiography,” explained Ant McPartlin, who first met Declan Donnelly on the set of Byker Grove at the age of 13.

“We read a couple of other books – Peter Kay’s for example – which were a lot more lighthearted which focused on the career and funny anecdotes and scrapes they got into, rather than spilling beans.

“We figured out this is the 20th year we have been working together and we felt this is quite a nice way to celebrate that fact. It is a real milestone and we’re very proud to have worked together for that length of time and still love it.”

Although they didn’t warm to each other immediately when they first met, Ant and Dec, both now 33, soon became best mates and have been inseparable both on and off screen ever since.

Bad rap, stunts going wrong, schoolboy pranks and off-screen antics are just some of the experiences they write about in the memoir.

“You very rarely stop and allow yourself to think and look back at what you’ve done and achieved, the adventures you have had,” explained Dec, who along with Ant grew up in Newcastle’s West End.

“We sat down and looked back at 1989, when we first met and became friends, and we started going through the whole thing.

“It was necessary to do it for the book but it was nice to stop and go back over things and have a laugh and appreciate how far we’ve come and to take the mickey out of each other. It’s been a lovely process. We went down the pub and round to each other’s houses, so it was hardly a hardship!

“We look back on things through rose tinted spectacles and you remember the good times rather than the bad mostly and with fondness on most things.

“What we pick out is how much we learned and how much it has shaped us to be the people we are. We wouldn’t be who we are today without that.”

Ant added: “This book forced us to look back and it was quite emotional. We both went, well done, really well done.

“It’s really quite unbelievable where we’ve come from and what we’ve achieved and we’re both very proud of ourselves and each other.”

Ant and Dec will be at Waterstone’s in Blackett Street, Newcastle, today from 1pm.

Fans who would like more information about the booksigning should contact Waterstone’s Newcastle on (0191) 261 7757

Listen to Ant and Dec's interview at www.journallive.co.uk/audio