Once Upon A Tyne by Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly @BooksSphere @antanddec

Book Description:

THE HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Ant and Dec hold a special place in the hearts of TV viewers everywhere. This is their epic story, with never-before-seen photography and the very best tales from their 30 years in TV.

Ant: As the old Chinese proverb says, ‘Good things come in pairs’.
Dec: And as another Chinese proverb says, ‘If you’ve been in a double act with your best mate for thirty years, why not write a book about all your most memorable moments in three decades of showbusiness?’
Ant: Less catchy that one, isn’t it?
Dec: But no less true. And after three decades together, we’re writing that book. Covering everything from a pirate radio storyline in Byker Grove through to the biggest shows on telly, this is our story.
Ant: Thirty years, eh? Amazing.
Dec: Absolutely. Especially when you consider we are both still 27 years old.

From their modest beginnings in Byker Grove through to their “unique” time as pop stars and an award-laden TV career, the last three decades have flown by in the blink of an eye. They’ve also featured an incredible cast of supporting characters, including their first scriptwriter (an unknown comedian called David Walliams), Saturday night fun and games with countless Hollywood A-listers, and celebrities they torture – sorry, work with – every year in the jungle. Told through the lens of every TV show they’ve made, as well as everything they’ve learnt along the way, this is the riotously funny journey of two ordinary lads from Newcastle who went on to achieve extraordinary things.

My Thoughts:

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. Will start off by saying this is one hefty book though. You definitely need both hands to lift it up to read. All the pages are glossy and it carried the showbiz feel from the outside, all the way through the inside.

Ant and Dec very much have their own voices in this book. Dec talks in bold and Ant in the non bold text. This is explained from the very first page, so it was easy to know who was who. I could hear each distinctive accent in my head throughout which I loved. Whilst these two can be funny on screen, I wasn’t sure how they would come across in a book but I am delighted to say that it raised more than a few laughs from me and the undeniable chemistry between them both, flew off the pages.

They talk us through their journey of the show they first met on, Byker Grover, as well as all their other much loved shows. Was great to see some comments popping up from the likes of Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Robbie Williams. I also enjoyed where they go through the ancestry programme they filmed which I loved.

Once Upon A Tyne is packed full of images as well as banter and heart-warming moments from this much loved duo. It confirmed to me that everything you see on the screen, is very much who they are off it. That they are both down to earth, genuine people who are lucky enough to have the most wonderful friendship. How fantastic would it be to work with your best friend and hangout with them all the time? The experiences that these two have shared really makes for some entertaining and wonderful reading. If you are looking for a light hearted but heart felt read, then you would be mad to miss out on this one.