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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Neil Goulding & Sophie McCoid

Where Little Ant and Dec are now as Saturday Night Takeaway returns

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway has always been a big hit, but people particularly loved watching Little Ant and Dec getting into mischief and interviewing celebrities.

The miniature lookalikes became very famous because of the show, but they have now grown up.

There have been two versions of the comedy duo since they first burst on to our TV screens back in 2003.

Cheeky pair James Pallister and Dylan McKenna-Redshaw were the first pair to became an overnight sensation as they ran rings around everyone they met - reports the Daily Star.

Whether it was interviewing Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie or Robert De Niro, or an impromptu shopping trip with Victoria Beckham, the pair used to endear themselves to even the most high-profile of celebrities.

And, more often than not, they would terrorise the stars and have them – and viewers – in stitches of laughter in legendary segments on the show.

Original duo James and Dylan featured on five series of the award-winning show, but when the popular segment was brought back in 2010 they were replaced by a new pair.

By that time James and Dylan had both grown up, with TV bosses keen for fresh faces and younger lads for the new series.

But there was another big reason they would no longer work in the roles, as they had grown a lot taller than Geordie duo Ant and Dec.

And according to his Facebook page, Little Ant (James) now works as a vehicle technician for BMW, while Little Dec (Dylan) started his own nutrition business, specialising in sports performance, weight loss and muscle gain.

During their time on the show, their matching trademark Ant and Dec haircuts, coupled with their cheeky nature and big smiles, would cause celebrities to crumble during laugh-out-loud exclusive interviews.

One of the most famous sketches involved Hollywood actor Will Smith, who had to wait over an hour to be interviewed as the youngsters messed about in a swimming pool ahead of the Venice Film Festival.

And many other A-listers experienced the cheekiness of the duo, with powerful politicians including then Prime Minister Tony Blair featuring in fun sketches down the years.

Geordie duo James and Dylan were replaced for Saturday Night Takeaway's 10th series in 2010 by Neil Overend and Haydn Reid.

Little Ant and Dec's new generation interviewed some huge names, including Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence, footballer Wayne Rooney and current PM Boris Johnson.

Original pair James and Dylan were photographed at a boozy party with Ant and Dec in 2013 – and they got the chance to meet their replacements.

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Speaking to Digital Spy Dec said: "They'll come down to a show every year.

“But we didn't see them last year and we won't see them this year because we won't have anybody at the studio.

"We haven't seen them for a little while. They normally come down to take in a show. That's the one that makes us feel really old!"

New little lookalikes Neil and Haydn were big hits, but they too outgrew their roles.

Although Ant teased that there could be a third version of the tiny terrors in the future.

He said: "The good thing is, with something like that, in the future we might want to do it again.

“We might search again for two new 'littles' and do the item again.”

Saturday Night Takeaway returned at the weekend with an average 7.3 million tuning in across the hour and a half for the first series of the new show.

*Saturday Night Takeaway continues Saturday night at 7pm on ITV

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