Ant & Dec

Widely regarded as the U.K.'s most accomplished multifaceted performers of their era, the close-knit duo Ant & Dec ranked among the steadiest pop attractions throughout the mid-1990s. They first crossed paths on the CBBC series Byker Grove and, in 1994, secured a Telstar Records contract using the names of their characters, PJ & Duncan. Momentum arrived via their third single, "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble," which climbed to number nine, earned a later nomination for Best British Single at the Brit Awards, and coincided with the debut album Psyche surpassing half a million units sold. A sold-out tour featuring support from a then-unknown Backstreet Boys preceded the 1995 follow-up Top Katz, which reached number 11. In 1997 the pair resumed their given names for the more polished, guitar-driven third album The Cult of Ant & Dec. After issuing their final single, "Falling," late that year, they shifted focus entirely to television. Their self-titled BBC program and Channel 4's Unzipped each captured BAFTAs, yet the inventive Saturday-morning staple SMTV/CD:UK most firmly captured public affection. The duo advanced to prime-time presenting duties on the hit series Pop Idol, then took charge of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, Britain's Got Talent, and Saturday Night Takeaway. A 2002 return to music yielded a number-three placing for "On the Ball," England's official anthem for the South Korea/Japan World Cup, while 2006 saw their screen debut in the British comedy Alien Autopsy.