Television duo Ant and Dec have heralded their OBEs as the achievement their “mams” will be proudest of.
The pair – voted the nation’s favourite presenters in the National Television Awards 2016 – have been together for 26 years.
Geordie duo Ant and Dec can now add OBE to the end of their names (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
They described their inclusion on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list as a shock, saying they were grateful to have been recognised for services to broadcasting and entertainment.
“We are just two ordinary lads from the west end of Newcastle," said Ant and Dec.
“We hope us receiving this honour can inspire young people to chase their dreams and believe that anything is possible.
Ant and Dec (John Marshall/Brit Awards)
“This will definitely be the proudest our mams have ever been.”
The pair added: “We are both shocked, but incredibly honoured to receive OBEs.
“We absolutely love what we do and have done since we started out aged 13.”
And and Dec used to host SMTV Live (Martyn Hayhow/PA)
The Geordie duo added that they are “passionate” about what they do and were especially honoured to host both The Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration and the 40 Years of the Prince’s Trust documentary.
They continued: “What we do also allows us to work with some amazing charities that really do make a difference.
“2016 has been a fantastic year so far, and we’re so grateful for all the support we receive.”
The double-act found fame in 1990s BBC One children’s drama Byker Grove, had a short career pop career as their characters PJ & Duncan, and went on to present shows such as Pop Idol, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent.
