Ant and Dec have revealed why they “almost split for good” as they opened up about the tough times in their friendship.
The popular presenting duo released a new book Once Upon A Tyne today, as they celebrate 30 years together presenting the likes of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here! and Britain’s Got Talent.
In an excerpt obtained by The Mirror, they opened up about a time where their relationship was strained – speaking about filming Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey which traced their ancestry and aired last year after being filmed over several years.
“Looking back, when we went into DNA, our relationship wasn’t where it should have been,” Dec wrote.
“We were on autopilot, working too hard and taking each other for granted, but Ant’s break forced us both to evaluate everything, almost from the perspective of an outsider,” he explained – referring to Ant’s break following a 2018 conviction of drink driving, a stint in rebab, and his divorce from Lisa Armstrong.
“There was a real chance we were never going to work together again. Not knowing if Ant and Dec would continue was very scary for us both.
“Since 1990 we’ve made every decision together for the sake of Ant and Dec. Every discussion we’ve ever had has been ‘what are we going to do? What’s best for us?’ And now suddenly, we had to think about ourselves as individuals. ‘What do I want to do? What’s best for me?’.
He added: “That felt like an alien mindset to adopt and it was very frightening.”
“It was something we really took time over. We both spoke to lots of people, friends and family, and we both individually came to the conclusion that we wanted to keep working together.
“A break helped us realise how much we love what we do, and ultimately how much we love each other.”
Ant wrote: “By the end of making DNA, our partnership was so much stronger than it had been at the beginning, because so much had happened to us both.
“I’d gone through rehab and a divorce and Dec had become a dad for the first time. These are seminal points in your life, huge moments that, especially in my case, could have gone either way.”
“There were times in my recovery when I wasn’t sure I’d work again, or if I’d get to work with Dec, if we’d ever get to be Ant and Dec again.
“That sounds crazy now, but at the time it weighed heavily on my mind, because, at first, my prime focus had to be on getting myself well.”
Once Upon A Tyne – Our Story Celebrating 30 Years Together On Telly by Ant and Dec, published by Sphere, is out now.
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