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Chronicle Live
Entertainment
Simon Duke

Ant McPartlin teases Byker Grove return for PJ and hints at what happened to his famous character

Ant McPartlin has hinted that his iconic Byker Grove could make a return as he and Dec Donnelly bring back the show that first shot them to fame over 30 years ago.

It was back in 1989 that the much loved programme launched on the BBC, quickly becoming a teatime staple for families across the country. While it was aimed at a more teenage audience, it was also a big favourite with younger viewers and their parents, who couldn't get enough of all the high jinks and drama at the Newcastle youth club.

Ant, joined the Byker Grove cast slightly later than Dec, but it wasn't long before PJ and Duncan the double act was born, with the two becoming the show's biggest stars. The now ITV presenters were at the centre of many memorable Byker Grove scenes, most notably when PJ was blinded in a paintballing accident and when they launched their pop career with single Tonight I'm Free.

READ MORE: Byker Grove to return to TV with new name and Ant and Dec on board

Ant and Dec left the Grove, like many others, at the age of 18, with their music career landing them a string of top 40 hits and top five album with debut Psyche. From there, they went onto host their own BBC show, before tasting further Tv presenting success with the likes of SMTV Live, CDUK and Friends Like These.

Now they are of course TV's best known presenters thanks to shows like I'm A Celebrity, Britain's Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway, but are going back to their roots as executive producers of BYKER, Byker Grove's reboot, which will be produced by their company Mitre Studios, together with Sunderland's Fulwell73.

Ant and Dec announced the big news on Twitter on Tuesday morning, via a video they shared on their account. And it was in the clip that Ant hinted what PJ could be up to now. Dec quizzed: "I wonder where PJ and Duncan are nowadays and if they'll pop into the Grove on their way past?"

Ant replied:: " I reckon PJ now right, is selling out Wembley Stadium with his platinum selling rap album.," before mimicking crowd chants of 'PJ, PJ, PJ," as Dec quipped: "As you can probably tell, storyline development is at an early stage."

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