So what did Ant and Dec think of their trip to Oz? Here’s the goss...
What’s been your first
reaction to Australia?
Ant: It’s
been surprising how many people knew us and came to the airport
and the hotel and stuff - it just blew us away really. I mean,
after having, what, an 18 hour flight and then getting off and
getting a reaction like that, it just wakes you up!
Dec: We even got it at baggage reclaim at the airport! We
were waiting for our luggage to come round the carousel and
suddenly we heard this chanting, "ANT AND DEC, ANT AND
DEC!" And I said, "Huh?" Then the airport security
guard came out and said, "Right, we’ve got to organise
it so we can get you out of the airport." We couldn’t
believe it! When we came out there were about 150 fans out there
chanting. Every time we go to a country for the first time,
there’s usually about five or six fans at the airport, and
they want to be the first to welcome you to their country, but
this time we were blown away.
Ant: We were really chuffed! I mean, I had to look around
- I thought Oasis were coming!
What do you think of Australian people?
Ant: Sound, really
friendly. They’re sort of like Geordies in a way because
they’re so friendly!
Dec: We went down Oxford Street ( trendy Sydney area )
to a couple of bars down there for a few games of pool, and loads
of people were coming up to us saying, (puts on crap Aussie
accent ), "How ya going, mate?"
Ant: It’s brilliant! Even when you get your
breakfast, the waitresses are like, "Hi, how are you
today!"
Dec: Yeah, in London, they’d be like ( grumpily ),
"Uuurgh, here’s your breakfast," then they slump
out!
Have you noticed the water swirls down
the sink a different way in Oz?
Dec: Yeah, I noticed
that when I as brushing my teeth!
Ant: Did you?
Dec: I was looking for it, ‘cause I remember people
saying it and I didn’t know whether it was true or not, but
it really is true!
Have you started saying
"G’day" yet?
Dec: ( laughs )
Someone told me, "Don’t say ‘g’day’ to
anybody or you’ll get punched in the head"! So,
erm… no, we haven’t!
Who’s your favourite Australian,
then?
Ant: I like Rolf
Harris!
Dec: Yeah, he’s been on our show!
Ant: He painted portraits of us! He did a good one of me,
but he couldn’t quite get Dec
Dec: He didn’t get me at all - I looked like Maggie
Thatcher!
Are you a big fan of Australian soaps?
Dec: I like Alf!
Ant: Neighbours is really big in Britain, but it’s
not as big over here, is it? I prefer Neighbours to Home and
Away, anyway, Home and Away is boring! It’s just Pippa and
all them kids doing the same thing! She keeps adopting all those
kids, y’know what I mean?!
Have you met Kimberley Davies?
Both: Nah,
unfortunately!
Dec: Actually she was in pantomime in Britain last
Christmas and some of our fans went up to her and gave her
keyrings of us that had been given away in a magazine. They took
photos of her holding up these keyrings with our pictures on
them…
Ant: It was excellent!!
What are the main differences between
Britain and Australia?
Dec: People are much
more laid-back and calm in Australia, whereas you go back to
London and everyone’s stressed out and running to get
places. If you travel on the tube in London, people never talk to
you, they never even make eye contact.
Ant: I feel quite at home here.
Dec: Yeah, ‘cause when you go to most other countries
you feel like a foreigner even if you’re somewhere close
like Paris. It’s obviously ‘cause we speak the same
language, but it makes a difference. I could definitely live
here, no problem!
TV Hits, September 1996, Issue 85
Words: John Karpathakis