Ant & Dec Reveal Fears Over Voting Scandal: 'We Thought Our Careers Were Over'
'We Thought Our Careers Were Over'
The Huffington Post UK/PA
Ant and Dec have admitted they thought their careers were going to be ended by the 2007 phone voting scandal.
The Geordie TV duo, appearing together on Desert Island Discs, also defended the treatment of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent, which they host.
ITV was fined more than £5 million by communications watchdog Ofcom after it emerged that viewers on shows including Saturday Night Takeaway had paid to enter premium rate phone competitions which they stood little or no chance of winning.
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Ant told host Kirsty Young the scandal was "the worst part of our career", adding: "I think our audience trust us and with that case we were really worried that trust had gone."
Dec, who said the pair "couldn't quite comprehend how it was allowed to happen", said he thought their career was over.
He said: "We thought that probably that was it, to be honest with you, because I think the viewers would have been justified in thinking their trust had been breached, and if that had been the end, I don't think we could have had many complaints."
The stars - real names Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - chose two tracks each and four songs together on the BBC Radio 4 show.
They are the first duo to appear on the historic programme since Spitting Image creators Peter Fluck and Roger Law in 1987.
Speaking about the rumour that he once considered joining the priesthood, Dec said there was the "tiniest seed of truth in it".
The presenter, whose older brother is a priest, said: "I thought about it and then got the bus home and saw all the girls from local convent school, Sacred Heart, passing by and I thought it's not for me."
Defending Britain's Got Talent from what Young called "considerable and consistent criticism" of how Boyle was treated, Ant said: "We worried about her a lot and the duty of care that they have on Britain's Got Talent for the contestants is very high - there's somebody constantly there for them - but she found it hard just being in London, being away from Scotland and so on...
"You're not even putting into the mix global fame and YouTube hits and all that kind of stuff, so she did find it tough and, you know what, most people would."
The pair, whose song choices include Bring Me Sunshine by Morecambe and Wise and the theme to 1980s drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, also said they still wanted to star in a sitcom together.
Ant and Dec, aka PJ and Duncan, in 1994. (Photo credit: Getty)
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British pop duo PJ and Duncan instore at HMV in 1994. (Photo credit: PA)
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Ant and Dec, aka PJ and Duncan, in 1994. (Photo credit: PA/Jez C Self/EMPICS Entertainment)
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Ant and Dec larking about with Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie in 1996. (Photo credit: PA)
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Pop duo PJ & Duncan in the studio in 1996 (Photo credit: PA)
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PJ and Duncan in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1996. (Photo credit: PA)
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Ant and Dec celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Byker Grove with fellow stars in 1998. (Photo credit: Rex Features)
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Ant and Dec with Cat Deeley in 1998, co-hosts of SMTV://Live. (Photo credit: PA)
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Anthony McPartlin (left), and Declan Donnelly, Ant & Dec, with their Most Popular entertainment Presenter awards at the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002. (Photo credit: PA)
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Pop Idol presenters Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right) celebrate with Will Young from Hungerford, Berkshire, at the Fountain Studios in London, after he was voted Britain's Pop Idol in 2002. (Photo credit: PA)
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Pop Idol judges (from left) Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox, pose with show hosts Ant and Dec (Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly) during a press conference at Thames TV in London, to launch a new series of Pop Idol in 2003. (Photo credit: PA)
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Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pose with the awards for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality and Best Comedy Entertainment Programme for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in the Awards Room at the 'British Comedy Awards 2004' on December 22, 2004 at London Television Studios in London. (Photo credit: Claire Greenway/Getty Images)
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Ant and Dec as The Ugly Sisters in Madame Tussauds Celebrity Pantomime in 2005. (Photo credit: PA)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right) with the Entertainment Performance award received for I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! at the BAFTA television awards at the London Palladium in 2010. (Photo credit: PA)
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Ant and Dec take part in the 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!' Bush Tucker Trial 'Greasy Spoon', in November 2011. (Photo credit: Rex Features)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly arriving for the 2012 NTA Awards at the O2, Greenwich, London. (Photo credit: PA)
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Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly with their awards for Entertainment Presenter, backstage at the National Television Awards 2012 at the Greenwich Arena London. (Photo credit: PA)