For Rich Pelley, a chemistry degree at Nottingham University in the mid-1990s was less about Nobel prizes and more about immersing himself in the era's vibrant culture. While his days were filled with volatile experiments—one involving goat's blood and excess hydrogen peroxide ended in a scene reminiscent of The Sopranos—his true education happened outside the lab.
The Fateful Night That Changed Everything
During his second year, the cultural landscape was dominated by the explosion of British dance music and Britpop. It was against this backdrop that television duo Ant and Dec announced a live show in town. No longer just PJ and Duncan from Byker Grove, they were rising stars of CBBC. Pelley and his friend Phil attended, expecting a crowd of ironic students similar to one at a recent Robbie Williams gig.
To their surprise, the theatre was packed with teenage girls. After perhaps one too many beers, the pair managed to deduce which hotel the stars were staying in and, with a blend of charm and audacity, found themselves in Ant and Dec's hotel rooms. They spent hours chatting and helping themselves to the duo's aftershow beers.
From Chemistry Lab to Comedy Duo
In those bleary early hours, a new ambition crystallised. Why pursue a future as a chemist, engaged in endless titrating and distilling, when one could build a career from having fun? Pelley decided he wanted to 'become Ant', and his friend Phil was the ready-made 'Dec' to his plan.
What began as a drunken scheme surprisingly gained traction. They launched a double act, writing for the student magazine Impact under the joint pen name Phil and Rich. They bought cheap decks, adopted DJ aliases (Flashmaster Chops and Flexmaster Groove), and attempted ambitious mixes blending Queen with Robert Miles and Underworld.
A Legacy of Creative Partnership
Their crowning achievement was Phil and Rich’s Potato Mash on University Radio Nottingham, a comedy show featuring dubious segments like 'Feel the Food'. Its most memorable moment was when they accidentally broadcast two hours of silence after forgetting to press the 'transmit' button.
After university, they sent demo tapes far and wide, receiving encouraging but non-committal feedback. A later move to Australia saw them launch a comedy website. While the dream of becoming a nationally recognised double act eventually faded, the creative spark it ignited endured. Both forged careers in creative industries—Pelley in journalism and Phil at the BBC.
Pelley still holds onto the hope that if Ant and Dec ever retire early, ITV might need a replacement act. He and Phil, he believes, would be the obvious shoo-ins, proving that sometimes the most impactful career guidance doesn't come from a professor, but from a surreal night out with two future national treasures.
