Ant McPartlin believes Dec Donnelly would be selling mobile phones in Newcastle if the pair hadn't found fame.
Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly
The TV presenting duo cannot believe how successful they've been and "never dreamed" they could forge a media career, with Ant pointing out Dec would've been a "successful" phone seller by now if they hadn't become TV stars.
Dec said: "We were two quite unremarkable working class kids from council estates in the west end of Newcastle. We had never dreamed a career in the media was in any way possible."
Ant added: "I grew up with just my mum and my sister - went to a comprehensive, mixed school, did a bit of drama and then this opportunity came along.
"We often talk about what we would be doing if 'Byker Grove' hadn’t turned up at our schools and asked us to audition. Dec would be selling mobile phones very successfully in Newcastle, I reckon, because he’s got very good patter."
The 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' co-hosts are now working with The Prince's Trust to bring media hubs back to the North, in places such as Newcastle.
Ant explained: "When we were growing up we had shows like 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet' and 'Jossy’s Giants' on TV. Catherine Cooksons were being filmed up the road in Northumberland, you had Tyne Tees down the road where they filmed 'The Tube'. You read the stories of the bands going up from London on the train, getting absolutely trolleyed, and giving some of the best performances.
"It felt like TV was an accessible place for two lads from Newcastle. These days that seems to have gone by the wayside."
Dec told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: "TV got very London centric in the 1990s/early Noughties. The energy it brings to a city if you’ve got a good media hub - when we were growing up it was all around us. I think that stopped and we’d like to try and bring a bit of that back."
The pair have partnered with The Prince’s Trust to help the next generation develop skills for the media industry, and find jobs and training opportunities, through a new programme called Ant & Dec's Making it in Media.
Prince Charles, President and Founder of youth charity The Prince’s Trust, said: "Being able to raise young people’s aspirations is incredibly important, arguably more so now than ever, and that is exactly what my Trust is doing by finding young people opportunities in the media industry today.
"I can think of no better duo to help drive this activity than Ant and Dec, who have enjoyed an illustrious career in the media for over 30 years."
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