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Ant McPartlin and Cat Deeley meet again with Dec Donnelly for a special SM: TV Live meeting – here’s a look back at one of the funniest moments in television history
Over 30 years ago, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly first teamed up with Cat Deeley to tell the nation to wake up on a Saturday morning.
Introducing itself as the fifth Lord Anthony of McPartlin and Viscount Donnely of Declanshire, the children’s television show catapulted the careers of the Geordie duo into glory.
The young hosts wreaked havoc during a mix of sketches, competitions, and games – the funniest of which was the infamous wonkey donkey.
To win a prize, viewers had to call to answer with two rhyming words that corresponded to the situation of a toy animal.
This often resulted in Dec jokingly scolding the camera in rage when the young contestants failed to understand the simple concept of the game – and at one point he really lost his rag.
The stuffed animal in question was a reptile wearing a tartan kilt and a bonnet of lank ginger hair.
The first caller, Lindsay mistakenly thought it was Irish, then mistakenly assumed that it was a « Scottish alligator » and ran out of time.
When Ant claimed she was « close » to getting the correct answer, Dec replied, « She was close. . . but doesn’t really rhyme. «
When Dec started waffling, he was silenced by his co-host, who then had to apologize to the next caller.
They hoped that the next candidate Stefan would have better luck, but he also gave « Scottish Gator » as an answer.
« It doesn’t rhyme for Christ’s sake, » yelled Dec, while even the gentler ant muttered, « Howay, son! »
Ant pointed out that they discovered « Scottish Gator » wasn’t the answer – and told the next caller, Corri, that he hoped for her that she got it right.
This time, « Scot Croc » was the wrong guess and Corri couldn’t come up with a correct answer despite the help of the hosts.
A member of the production team speaking in her ears generously wanted to give her the win, but Dec yelled, « Director! It doesn’t rhyme! »
Finally, the fourth caller, Hayley, came up with the correct answer – Jock Croc – and made the boys jump for joy.
The couple never drank on a Friday night before the show aired so they were in tip top shape.
But there was one occasion when they spent the night boozing, so the Saturday morning show ended a little worse.
« We never drank on a Friday night! A year, that was the millennium, » Ant said to Josh Smith of Glamor in February of that year.
« We were on the air the next morning. We were in Newcastle so we drove through the night and broadcast live, a little worse for the wear and tear. That was the only time. «
Dec added that Saturday night was their night for drinking and admitted Sunday was a « write-off » for the couple.
He said, « We walked straight out of the show on a Saturday so Saturday was a sesh. Sundays were a write-off! «
They both love their time at SM: TV very much, which really boosted their careers as the television presenter we know and love today.
« We liked that very much. I remember when Phillip Schofield said to us right before SMTV launched, Live Saturday morning because he always has, « It’s going to be the best fun you’ll ever have on TV, » said Ant.
He continued, « You know what an innocence and freedom we have on this show that you can’t get anywhere else. We could just play around.
« It was all before social media, everyone was watching TV and the viewership was off the charts for a kids TV show. Everyone talked about it. It was so much fun. «
Fans were disappointed when a planned comeback was suspended in 2018 as Ant and Dec were reportedly too busy with other work commitments.
But they finally did it this year – with the guys who teamed up with former co-host Cat Deeley to relive their fond memories of the legendary kids’ show on Saturday morning.
In the story of SM: TV Live, which will air on Boxing Day morning on ITV, the three presenters will revisit the studio where the series was filmed and recreate the show’s bumpy beginnings and anarchic heyday recall.
If that wasn’t enough, famous faces like Kylie Minogue, Stephen Mulhern, Fleur East and Scarlett Moffatt will tell why SM: TV made Saturday mornings worth waking up to.
Ant and Dec have already annoyed the fans with what to expect from the special show.
They shared a clip on their shared Twitter account and wrote: « We put a little SM: TV in your stocking that we think you will like . . .
« Back in the same place as it was twenty-two years ago! Set your alarm, Boxing Day at 9:25 am on @ITV, you’d be absolutely nuts if you missed it. « . «
In the video, the Geordie duo returns to the London studios where the series was originally filmed.
« Here we made the first link for the first episode of SMTV Live, » says Ant.
When Dec reveals he remembers the link, Ant adds, « It was something like, ‘Wake up, get up, it’s Saturday morning’. . «
UK Got Talent presenters have also hinted that there might be more SMTV in the future.
« When we did it, we all sat there and said, ‘Oh, we should only do one thing, again. Just get up and do it. But do it 9. Put on bands for three hours on a Saturday morning at 10pm, « Dec told Zoe Ball on her BBC Radio 2 show earlier this year.
« So I don’t know, let’s see. We’d love to, but I don’t know if we can. «
SMTV Live, Cat Deeley, Ant & Dec, Patrick Kielty, You Think You Can Dance, Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly
World News – GB – Furious Dec loses it with child callers in incredibly embarrassing SM: TV live clip
Ref: https://www.mirror.co.uk
