Ant and Dec’s most scandalous revelations in new book from drunken brawl to near split
The pair’s latest tome Once Upon A Tyne spills some incredible secrets from their partnership and 30 year careers
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Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have let down their guards to divulge some incredible secrets from their 30 year careers in their latest bombshell book release.
Once Upon A Tyne charts their turbulent time in the TV industry from Byker Grove to Britain’s Got Talent and everything in between.
Despite their prime time TV appearances, the pair confess they’ve not always been the best friends behind the scenes with a drunken punch-up and the fall-out from Ant McPartlin’s arrest and addiction battle almost severing their ties for good.
With the book’s release this week, we take a look at some of the most scandalous revealtions to come out of Once Upon A Tyne starting with the duo’s messiest spat to date.
Drunken scrap in lift ahead of breakfast TV
Some of the most shocking moments in the book come when the pair reveal their friendship is nowhere near as solid as appearances would have us believe.
In one chapter the pair confess they found themselves swinging at each other after a few pints.
It was back in the days when Ant and Dec were trying to forge a pop career as PJ and Duncan.
Ant recalls: “Our tour manager Kim Glover told us we had the day to ourselves before appearing on GMTV the following morning… so we went to the pub.”
One pint became two and more and before long the pair were a little worse for wear with Dec deciding to call it a night – leaving Ant furious.
Ant recalls saying: “What the hell are you going to bed for?”
With Dec continuing “stumbling towards the lift,” Ant said that “something about that incensed me and I lost it.”
Trying to lay down his authority, Ant demanded: “Don’t you dare walk away from me when I’m talking to you.”
Dec said that he started ranting at Ant, asking “who the hell does he think he was, talking to me like that?”
The pair continued arguing in the lift, with Dec ranting at his singing partner as the floors went by. When Ant then tried to raise an argument, Dec shoved his fingers in his ears and sang “La la la la, I can’t hear you.”
“That made my blood boil… I punched Dec in the chest,” admitted Ant.
Dec responded by knocking the cap of Ant’s head before punches starting to swing.
Their tour manager Kim intervened, telling the pair to break it up but there were a few more ‘verbals’.
Just two hours later the pair were forced to appear on breakfast TV but refused to look at each other.
The ‘very real chance’ they’d never work together again
While drunken teenage scraps are one thing, the TV hosts also admit in their new book that they briefly went their separate ways over Ant’s arrest, rehab and marriage woes.
Dec admits things got serious and ‘scary’ when there was a ‘real chance we were never gong to work together again.’
The dad said it was the first time since 1990 he was looking at himself as an individual rather than then working partner of Ant and he had to decide what was best for him.
“That felt like an alien mindset to adopt and it was very frightening,” Dec admits.
Ultimately, Dec opted to stick by his friend professionally and waited 10 months until Ant recovered before they joined forces again on the 2019 series of Britain’s Got Talent.
Dec ‘refused’ to work with Phillip Schofield
While discussing the difficult time he decided to present I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! without Ant, Dec also reveals the co-hosts he ‘refused’ to take as his friend’s replacement.
Dec says longtime friend Holly Willoughby was always ‘top of the list’ and there was ‘no way’ he’d have presented the show with Phillip Schofield despite swirling rumours about him stepping in at the time.
The host also said he rejected the idea of Stephen Mulhern whose name was also floated for the same reason – they were both men.
“I didn’t want it to appear that another guy was stepping in to take Ant’s place because they weren’t and because no one ever could,” he said.
Dec went on to say that Holly did a ‘superb’ job with viewing figures reaching new heights when she joined him Australia.
Secret I’m A Celebrity cheats
In their new book the pair also lift the lid on the secret jungle rule breakers on I’m A Celebrity and named names for the first time.
The pair out Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s dad Stanley Johnson as one of the biggest offenders.
They confirmed the ex politician escaped his minder and ran off to the beach before his time in camp.
Caitlyn Jenner is also reported as ‘legging it to the shops’ while boxer Amir Khan came up with an ingenious plot to contact his loved ones – which is strictly prohibited.
Dec said Amir befriended a worker at a baker close to the Versace Hotel and persuaded him to let him use his phone.
“That’s the level of determination that makes you a boxing champion,” jokes Ant.
The duo also revealed that the 2019 campmates smelt the worst of any line-ups they’ve had in the show’s 18 year career.
Bizarre friendship with Prince Charles
The Geordie duo have rubbed shoulders with Prince Charles on numerous occassions in their 30 year careers.
And working on 2015 film When Ant And Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years Of The Prince’s Trust brought their relationship with the senior royal to new heights.
Ant and Dec were invited to stay at stately home Dumfries House in Ayrshire with Charles during filming – and even slept in rooms right next to him.
Things went so well on the trip that Ant gave Charles’ an invite to Dec’s stag do before he married Ali Astall.
But sadly, they never got to see Charles necking pints in a novelty t-shirt as he turned down the offer.
Making his apologies, Charles sent Dec a handwritten letter and a very personal wedding gift.
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