Book Review: Ant & Dec: Once Upon a Tyne

Ant and Dec – after their 30-year career – have solidified themselves as British entertaining legends. Their comedic double act has seen their friendship make their way into our homes and our hearts.

Reliving the journey that they’ve been on over the past thirty years, in their brand-new book and to put simply, its a rollercoaster of emotions.

The book itself is unlike most memoirs and autobiographies. It is written as if Ant and Dec are simply talking to one another about their careers. At some points, you have to remind yourself that Dec’s speech is in bold and Ant is in italics. However, it’s an easy enough read , feeling more like an audiobook transcript rather than a book.

The chapters break down the main stages of their career, from Byker Grove, Pop Idol and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to Britain’s Got Talent. They take us through how each of these career opportunities came about and what they originally thought of them (initially they rejected having a role on Britain’s Got Talent), and whether looking back they would have done something differently.

Once Upon a Tyne is a fun book to read – you can undoubtedly hear Ant and Dec’s friendship and humour in the pages, and there’s no question that this was their story.

Ant and Dec take us all the way back to their Byker Grove and pop star days, reliving their embarrassing performances and the only fight they’ve ever had, admitting that they weren’t good singers. It’s clear that looking back on their career highlights what they’re best at – entertaining.

Despite the featured stories giving the reader a unique behind the scenes view of their careers, it’s easy to think that the book itself could have been written better. It is easy to understand why it was written the way it was, but it would most likely have been a better read if it was styled as a traditional autobiography rather than a conversation.

That said, the entertainment factor is undeniable, complete with the photos that helps the reader picture the scene in their heads. From Dec fainting after a spider bite in Australia, to the day they received their OBEs and pictures from their fewer fashionable days. Arguably, without the photos, the written description wouldn’t have been half as entertaining. It’s the visual element that enables the reader to really engage with the book.

With little marketing, there’s no question that it’s Ant and Dec’s popularity in the entertainment industry that has enabled this book to perform well in the initial book charts. If it were written by anyone else, I doubt it would have done half as well.

By Faith Pring

Feature Image: TellyMix