ANT & Dec have opened up about the hopeless racehorse they once shared with Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell, describing it as “awful”.
The duo claimed the £35,000 colt wasn’t even a thoroughbred — but just a normal horse.
The national treasures also told how they regret not going to university and admitted they took their friendship for granted before Ant’s recovery from alcohol problems.
In an online chat to promote their new book, Once Upon A Tyne, Dec said of the horse: “It was awful, it was a dreadfully slow horse. It wasn’t a racehorse it was just a horse, ’cos it didn’t race.
“Every time we got to the BGT studio Simon would say, ‘I keep paying stable fees on this horse, but I’ve never seen it run’.”
Simon originally wanted to name the nag after himself, but they settled on It’s A Yes From Me when they bought it in 2013.
Dec revealed its eventual fate: “I think it got rehomed.”
The pair, who are celebrating 30 years of working together also claimed they regret never going to university after finding fame on BBC teen drama Byker Grove, and then as pop act PJ & Duncan.
Ant said: “I look back now and I kind of regret I never had the chance to go to uni.”
Ant temporarily stepped down from presenting Saturday Night Takeaway following his arrest for drink-driving in 2018 and return to rehab.
Then pal Holly Willoughby stood in for him on I’m A Celebrity.
Ant & Dec admitted they had taken their partnership for granted before the break and had to work on it before they started filming again.
Speaking to Dermot O’Leary in the interview, Dec said: “Because there was so much uncertainty with our career and partnership, we had to really step back and take stock of it all and almost get our friendship back on track, because I think we’d taken it for granted for too long.”
Ant added: “Having had that period where we weren’t together, there is a newfound gratitude for everything we do.”
Dec added: “It’s a really lovely time in our lives and in our professional career.”
Here’s to the next 30 years, lads . . .
