Biography

Arguably the most successful all-round entertainers of their generation in the U.K., the inseparable Ant & Dec were one of the most consistent pop acts of the mid-'90s. The pair met while working on the CBBC drama Byker Grove, and in 1994, they signed to Telstar Records under their character names, PJ & Duncan. Their breakthrough came with third release, "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble," which reached number nine and was later nominated for Best British Single at the Brit Awards, while their debut album, Psyche, sold over half a million copies. After a sold-out tour, where they were supported by a pre-famous Backstreet Boys, follow-up Top Katz charted at number 11 in 1995. Two years later, Ant & Dec reverted back to their real names for their more mature guitar-led third album, The Cult of Ant & Dec. Following their last single, "Falling," at the end of 1997, they decided to concentrate on their television career. Their self-titled BBC show and Channel 4's Unzipped both won BAFTAs, but it was their highly inventive SMTV/CD:UK Saturday morning series that endeared them to the nation. They made the step up to prime-time hosts with the hugely successful Pop Idol, and later went onto present I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, Britain's Got Talent, and Saturday Night Takeaway. They returned to music in 2002, when they reached number three with "On the Ball," the official England Anthem for the South Korea/Japan World Cup, and in 2006, they starred in their first movie, the British comedy Alien Autopsy. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi