It’s more than 30 years since Ant and Dec, as well as Donna Air, shot to stardom on the teen drama Byker Grove.
And the Geordie trio took a trip down memory lane as they were reunited at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards at The Londoner in Leicester Square.
Donna, 49, who played Charlie Charlton on the BBC series for three years, told The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden: ‘It’s always nice to see the boys, as it just feels like old times. It’s almost like when people talk about that school bond, and Byker Grove was our school.’
She hasn’t ruled out making an appearance in the forthcoming spin-off series, Byker. ‘I’m getting the itch back, so it’s time to get back on set. Byker could be a good place to start,’ Donna said.
Ant and Dec were in attendance at Sunday’s ceremony to accept the Outstanding Contribution to Television Award, and during their speech, paid tribute to their wives.
Following his divorce from Lisa, Ant remarried Anne-Marie in 2021 in a star-studded wedding ceremony, and the pair welcomed son, Wilder, together last year.
Ant and Dec took a trip down memory lane as they reunited with their Byker Grove co-star Donna Air at The Variety Club Showbusiness Awards on Sunday
Donna, who played Charlie Charlton on the BBC series for three years hinted she’s ‘got the itch’ to return to acting following news that a spin-off is in the works (pictured in 1998)
Speaking about his wife at the Variety Showbusiness Awards, Ant gushed, ‘A special mention has to go to our incredible management team, YM&U, formerly James Grant. They are so amazing in fact that they found us a couple of wives. How lovely is that?
‘Did they charge commission on that as well?’ he quipped to co-host Dec.
He added: ‘The biggest thank you though do go to our wives, to Amzie and Ali for putting up with us, and for being our biggest fans and our harshest critics when needed.’
Despite recently losing out to an NTA award for the first time in 23 years, Dec added onstage: ‘If giving us an Outstanding Contribution to Television award is a subtle way to tell us that you’ve had enough and we need to retire, I’m afraid to disappoint you. We’ve just finished auditions of series 19 for Britain’s Got Talent.
‘We’re about to head to Australia for the next season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and we’ve got a couple of new projects, and exciting projects that we will be announcing and starting in the new year, so we’re just getting started.’
Byker Grove first hit British TV screens way back in November 1989 and the coming-of-age drama proved itself to be an instant hit.
Thanks to Ant and Dec’s production company, Mitre Studios, which owns the rights to the classic kids’ show, it is being brought back by ITVX next month,
In case your memory needs refreshing, or you’re simply too young to remember it, Byker Grove is set in the Byker district of Newcastle.
It’s been announced that all 18 series of Byker Grove will be available to stream on ITVX, after Ant and Dec’s production company Mitre Studios acquired the rights to the show
Ant and Dec were in attendance at Sunday’s ceremony to accept the Outstanding Contribution to Television Award, and during their speech, paid tribute to their wives
The show centres around a group of teens who spend their time at a local youth club called – yes, you guessed it – the Grove.
It won widespread acclaim for tackling a number of hard-hitting issues in an accessible way for young people, including drug addiction, child abuse, homophobia and abortion.
Byker Grove also made history back in 1994 by featuring children’s television’s first-ever gay kiss.
This was between Noddy Fishwick and his close friend Gary Hendrix at the back of a cinema.
The show didn’t just give Ant and Dec their start in the entertainment industry either and it also provided a starting point for Jill Halfpenny, who remains an actress to this day after appearing in Byker Grove between 1989 and 1992.
One of the show’s former writers, Catherine Johnson, also went onto bigger things and after working on the show in 1997, she went on to write the ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia!
Craig Morris, Director of Channels, ITVX & Acquisitions, said: ‘ITV audiences have grown up with Ant & Dec.
‘We are delighted to whisk viewers all the way back to the moment they first shared the screen together.
‘Enjoy every moment from this iconic coming-of-age series on ITVX this November.’
Ed Sleeman, MD at Mitre Studios, added: ‘Byker Grove on ITVX marks the return of a legendary series which made TV history, launching the careers of Ant & Dec and helping shape a generation of viewers.’
