Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the beloved Geordie presenting duo, have dominated British television for decades, but their 2006 film Alien Autopsy remains a notorious misstep that effectively ended their acting aspirations. The critically panned movie saw the pair return to ITV presenting permanently, despite their earlier successes on shows like SM:TV Live, Pop Idol, I'm A Celebrity, Britain's Got Talent, and Saturday Night Takeaway.
The Film That Sealed Their Fate
Alien Autopsy, a British comedy film released in 2006, offered a comedic reimagining of the infamous 1995 alien controversy surrounding Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield. The pair, who first captured public attention as actors on Byker Grove in the late 1980s and early 1990s, took on dramatically different characters from their typical television personas. Ant portrayed the earnest Gary Shoefield, while Dec embodied the boisterous Ray Santilli, sharing the screen with renowned actors including Independence Day star Bill Pullman and comedian Omid Djalili.
Critical Reception and Box Office Performance
The film achieved modest success in UK cinemas, securing third position in domestic box office rankings, though it reportedly generated just £2.5 million against an approximate £5 million production cost. Audience reception proved divided, garnering a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while professional reviewers were considerably less charitable.
The Times' James Christopher branded the production "an utterly dismal attempt to craft a post-modern spoof out of a 60-year-old hoax." Meanwhile, The Independent's Anthony Quinn stated: "Ant and Dec may be the princelings of prime-time TV but they're barely peasant-level in the big-screen stakes." The BBC's Neil Smith proclaimed the film was "too banal for adults, too gruesome for kids."
Ant and Dec's Perspective
Despite the brutal reviews, Ant and Dec disclosed they thoroughly enjoyed creating the picture and had a "great time" while speaking at the premiere at Newcastle's The Gate. Ant explained to the Newcastle Chronicle how they came to choose the project: "We went through a period of being sent a lot of film scripts and a lot were pretty bad. This one came in, our manager said 'I've read it, it's really interesting.'"
Dec added: "Normally they say you should read 10 pages and if not gripped by it chuck it in the bin. Before I knew it I was on page 15 and I finished it. I rang Ant and said you have to read it, it's a great story. Unlike many of the other scripts, it had two male leads in it, which was very rare. Also what was so good about it is it was based on a true story and I was intrigued by it back then."
Accepting the Outcome
The duo appeared to have braced themselves for potential disappointment and acknowledged it might be their sole venture into cinema. Donnelly remarked before the film's screening in Leicester Square: "This might be the only movie we ever make, the only premiere we ever have, so we just decided to enjoy it. We're signed to ITV to 2007 so certainly until the end of then we'll still be working on our TV projects. We wanted to see how this went and if viewers can think of us as these characters. If things come in, then we'll look at them but we're certainly not going to launch an assault on Tinseltown."
Not Their Only Misstep
While Alien Autopsy marked the end of their acting ambitions, it wasn't the only blemish on their otherwise stellar track record. The pair would likely prefer to erase memories of their ill-starred gameshow Red or Black, which despite enormous fanfare and boasts of Britain's biggest-ever cash prize, fell flat with audiences in 2011.
Conceived by their former mentor Simon Cowell, the divisive programme faced accusations of promoting gambling, while its format—contestants tackling various challenges before staking everything on a 'red or black' gamble—left viewers baffled. Reflecting on the criticism, Ant admitted to The Sun: "We kind of figured it was a Saturday night show. We all got that wrong and hold our hands up to that."
Recent Developments
After nearly ten years of avoiding the gameshow format, Ant and Dec have made a comeback with their new ITV series, Limitless Win. The five-part series involves contestants answering progressively difficult questions while climbing an endless money ladder with each correct answer. Despite their excitement for the show's launch, the duo confessed that their primary worry was potentially bankrupting ITV, as contestants can win an unlimited amount of money.
Ant disclosed to The Sun: "We had sleepless nights beforehand and we thought, 'Are we gonna bankrupt ITV?' because there is no limit on what you can win." Dec chimed in: "When you turn the light off at night there's that little thing that goes off in your head that goes, 'What if someone just keeps winning – what are you going to do?' I don't know what would happen."
From Byker Grove to Presenting Dominance
Before their presenting dominance, and a brief foray into music as PJ and Duncan, Ant and Dec first captured the public's attention as actors on Byker Grove. Dec landed his role as Duncan in the youth drama back in 1989, with Ant following a year later as PJ after cutting his teeth on the children's show Why Don't You?
Following their Byker Grove exit in 1993, the duo ventured into music, making their Top of the Pops debut in 1994 with the catchy Let's Get Ready To Rhumble. They released 16 singles and three albums, finding modest success domestically but topping the German charts, before committing fully to television work in 1997.
The beloved Geordie pair have become synonymous with presenting, securing the Most Popular TV Presenter award at the National Television Awards for more than a decade—until they lost the coveted gong for the first time in 24 years in 2025. Their charm has captivated audiences young and old across multiple generations of television programming.
