Little Ant & Dec have very different lives after starting out so young in showbiz

Do you remember Little Ant and Dec?

You know, the two youngsters who played the kid versions of the Saturday Night Takeaway hosts, well, after starting out so young in showbiz, they're now living very different lives.

In case your memory needs refreshing, the pair first appeared on our screens way back in 2003 (yes, I feel old just writing that) and were a feature of the show until 2006.

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But despite only occupying the role for three years, the pair, whose real names are James Pallister and Dylan McKenna-Redshaw, did a lot - including interviewing the likes of the Beckhams and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

While their namesakes, Anthony McPartlin, now 47, and Declan Donnelly, also 47, are still very much a staple of Saturday night television, Little Ant and Dec have chosen to live their lives away from the limelight now they're grown up.

The pair live in Newcastle, where Ant and Dec also hail from, where James works as a BMW vehicle technician and Dylan owns a nutrition business.

Back in 2021, they reunited with Ant and Dec, and the duo were shocked to see how much their mini-mes have now grown up.

ITV

Dylan said of the foursome's reunion: "It's always good to see Ant and Dec again. They were shocked when they saw us, it’s been a few years since we have caught up and we are much taller!

"It was a really good experience. Me and James used to joke with Ant and Dec. They were great teachers! Looking back I guess we were able to be more naughty and cheeky than they would have got away with.

"Times have changed. I don't think I look like a Little Ant now but I really enjoyed the experience and it's something I’ll never forget."

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Ant and Dec themselves revealed that the 2021 reunion is not the first time their paths have crossed since the boys left the show in 2006.

In fact, since then, they have regularly returned as audience members.

This means that they will have most likely had a chance to see their successors, Neil Overend and Haydn Reid, who joined the show in 2010 and occupied the role for four seasons.

Reflecting on how much the original Little Ant and Dec have changed, Dec joked that they were 'massive two six-footers'.

The concept of a Little Ant and Dec was ultimately axed by producers because the boys in question kept outgrowing the hosts themselves.