Ant & Dec reveal all about their new show which aims to put the family back into Saturday nights - Push the Button. So where did the idea for Push the Button come from? Ant: "The inspiration behind it is we thought there was a lack of real families being represented on television, especially in prime time. When we were growing up, I used to love shows like The Generation Game and the fun characters you’d find on Blind Date and Michael Barrymore’s My Kind of People. Now, many programmes like Family Fortunes and Mr and Mrs use celebrities, which is fair enough. But having done the Britain’s Got Talent auditions, we know how good fun the general public can be, so we wanted to get back and work with them." Dec: "We always try to make shows that appeal to the whole family so we thought it’d be good to make a show starring the whole family." Imagine the tables were turned and your families competed against each other. Could you cope with the challenge? Ant: "I could – I don’t know about the rest of my family! My wife, Lisa, could be good, she’s very competitive. I’d choose my mam, and my uncle Terry because he’s an amateur hypnotist, which is a good skill to have! I need one more so I’ll pick my sister because she’s logical and good at games that test your mental agility. Who would you put up against them, Dec?" Dec: "I’ve got a big family so there’s going to be a lot of disappointed people! There would be me, two of my brothers, one of my sisters, and then maybe a sister-in-law..." Ant: "Your mam’s not getting a call? She’ll be very disappointed!" Dec: "My mam’s going to be team manager!" So who do think would come out on top – Team McPartlin or Team Donnelly? Ant: "I’m pretty certain my team would do quite well!" Dec: "We’ll have to see about that! Actually there’s going to be a mini-competition between us as we’re going to film Ant and I playing the games in rehearsals and put it on the ITV website and our website." Push The Button sounds perfect for a celebrity spin-off. To get you started how about The Osbornes versus The Osmonds? Dec: "That’s very good! Can I write that down?" Ant: "If that’s the Christmas special then don’t come after us TV Times!" There’s so many big weekend shows at the moment, staying in is the new going out on Saturday nights! Ant: "I completely agree! When we started Pop Idol, which is nearly 10 years ago, there were lots of articles on the death of Saturday night television – about how big, blockbuster programmes weren’t there anymore and how the whole family didn’t watch shows together. But we always knew that if you just got the shows right then you’d get different generations watching telly together again. Luckily, we went through it with Pop Idol and Britain’s Got Talent, and shows like The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are also proof there’s an audience out there willing to watch these shows if they’re good enough. The pressure’s on us now to make them good enough!" Congratulations on picking up two gongs at the National Television Awards! [Ant and Dec scooped Best Entertainment Programme for Saturday Night Takeaway and Best Entertainment Presenters for the ninth year in a row]. And, best of all, you were Favourite Double Act in our recent TV Times Awards. What have you done with the trophy? Ant: "We’ve argued over it because you’re very tight and only gave us one! I’m appealing now for a replica so we don’t have to fight anymore!" Dec: "It’s out of our hands at the minute because it was flown to Australia for us to do our acceptance picture but they haven’t sent it to the office yet. So hopefully it’s en-route back to us... I think I’ll have it. Can I have this one?" Ant: "Why?" Dec: "Isn’t it my turn?" Ant: "I don’t know - we’ll have to check the list!" You’ve been on our cover a number of times now... Ant: "I’ve just had them turned into wallpaper for my office! Actually, I haven’t but now I’ve said it I quite like the idea..." Dec: "Our management put them in frames and give them to us as little presents so we’ve got a collection of our TV Times front covers, which is nice. It’s an honour and an achievement to be on the cover of TV Times! Our mums love them!" Don't miss Push the Button on ITV1, Saturdays at 8pm.
