Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have been best mates for over three decades. That’s longer than some of you have been alive. They met when they were just thirteen-year-old schoolboys, messing about in Byker Grove, the iconic children’s drama. That was in 1990. Think about that: while you were worrying about your Tamagotchi dying, these two were already plotting world domination.
To put that in perspective, they’ve been friends longer than the Spice Girls were a band, longer than the entire Harry Potter film franchise, and even longer than the time between Friends episodes where Ross was “on a break.” It’s prehistoric in showbiz terms.
From acting rivals to inseparable mates
Here’s the funny bit: they weren’t actually best friends when they first met. In fact, they were rivals. Ant was the cool, confident one (apparently), and Dec was the quieter, short one (he’s still short, let’s be honest). They both auditioned for the same part in Byker Grove, and both got it—as PJ and Duncan. They literally started their friendship by being jealous of each other’s sideburns.
But then came the legendary moment: their characters got electrocuted by a hair dryer in a bathtub on telly. That was supposed to be the end of them. Instead, it launched the most unlikely double act since Laurel and Hardy. They realised, “Hey, we’re both short and funny, let’s never leave each other’s side.” And they didn’t.
