Ant McPartlin has revealed he and Declan Donnelly's Byker Grove alter-egos were very nearly Robert and Duncan.
The Geordie star told the Daily Mirror he originally auditioned to play a character called Robert and was devastated when he was turned down, but he was offered PJ instead.
Ant read for both parts, but there was some confusion when he got the call asking him to join the cast of Byker Grove.
He said: "I was over the moon when I got the part (of Robert). The phone went again and it was the producer saying there had been a mistake. I was heartbroken - but then he said I had the part of PJ instead.
"Otherwise it could have been Robert and Duncan."
Presenting partner and best pal Dec added the pair's success was built on their big break on Byker Grove.
He said: "We owe everything to Byker Grove. When the production company sadly went bust, we bought all the rights. We're so proud of it, we don't want it getting into the wrong hands."
