chapter two
Anne put her head round the door quietly, trying not to disturb the boys. They had their heads bent over their homework, deep in work. Anne grinned, then left them to it.
As soon as she went, Dec looked up, and threw his book behind him. "Right. So, this is an audition?"
Ant copied Dec and then looked back to the newspaper article. It was 1988, and the boys had been firm friends for the past 8 years. Ant had even transferred schools to be with Dec. They were inseperable.
"It looks ok," said Dec, reading it aloud. "Looking for kids with a Tyneside attitude to star in a new soap for children all over the UK. Must be 12-18 years of age and have a little experience."
Ant nodded. "So, what do you think?" he asked Dec, his face lighting up as he smiled.
"Yeah, let's go in for it!" said Dec enthusiastically. "What's the phone number?" He picked up the phone.
"341008" said Ant, as Dec dialled. "Are you sure about this then?"
"Well, I am now," said Dec. "Hello? Yes...my friend and I were interested...ok. Tuesday? Yes, that's fine..." Ant nodded to reassure Dec that nothing was happening on Tuesday.
"Declan Donnelly and Anthony McPartlin. D....O....N....N....E....L....L....Y. Yes, two n's. OK, thank you. Bye."
He replaced the receiver on the phone and grinned at Ant. "We've got an audition!"
"Byker Grove?" Dec said, looking at the script.
"Yes-you read the part of Duncan, and Ant....Thomas."
Ant grimaced. He hated the name Thomas. But he smiled as he took the paper, and the two boys stood in front of the judges and began.
Ant was put off a little. Dec was a natural, doing hand gestures, adding expression, and the judges were obviously impressed. Ant stuttered at first, and then carried on, not making any mistakes after a little slip up at first. The judges seemed impressed with him.
Thomas was a boy in a wheelchair that was Duncan's best friend. Duncan looked after him and did little things for him. The characters were brilliantly suited to the boys, as one of the judges thought. But Ant looked...well, he wouldn't be good playing a disabled person. He needed room to act out, and that was hard in a wheelchair.
"OK! You were both great," the female judge said enthusiastically, and Ant and Dec could tell that she meant it. "Please hang around to see if you're in the final 20."
Ant and Dec had already been chosen from 1,000 applicants and were down to the final 50. They sat outside, Ant's heart thumping really hard. Dec seemed calm, but inside he was cursing himself for eating a burger.
"So...what if only one of us gets a part?" Ant said, saying the thing both of them had been worrying about.
"We'll be happy," said Dec simply, knowing that if Ant got a part and he didn't he would question the judge's sanity. Dec WAS a natural, but Ant was very good too.
"The final ten: from these ten we will pick two people to play the characters we want. Kian Marsh, Declan Josephson, Joe Smart, Declan Donnelly, Alfie Fox, Brian Jones, Luke Monk, Ant McPartlin..."
At this Ant and Dec both screamed and hugged. The judge smiled at them. They were obviously great friends. That was not an act, and she should know.
"Way to go!" Ant said, then wondered why he said it.
Dec grinned. "We're in. And we will win, Ant."
Ant nodded, but he wasn't as sure as Dec.
"Dear Master Donnelly, I'm sure that you will be delighted to know that you have got the part of Duncan! We would like you to come to the studio tomorrow at 8:30am to meet Thomas, played by... " Dec read excitedly, then his face fell, "...Alfie Fox."
"Dec! You got in! Why the long face?" Anne asked, then realised what Dec had just said. "Ant didn't? But why? You two were great together!"
The phone rang, and Dec went to get it. There was a very excited Ant on the other end. "Dec! Guess what!!! I got a part!"
"Wha....what?" Dec asked, dazed.
"I'm not Thomas. But they've created a new character just for me. His name is Peter, and he's gonna be a new kid that just transferred, and is gonna end up being yours and Thomas' best mate!!!"
Dec gasped. "Oh my god!" he screamed. "Brill!"
There was almost silence in the room. Dec was crying quietly. Ant's face was red and angry. Everyone else was either crying or shocked.
"Alfie was a brilliant little actor," said Jenny, the director. "No one can believe this, and hopefully the sick..." She paused, realising she was letting herself go and tell everyone what she really thought. "....hopefully, his murderer will be caught."
Alfie Fox had been brutally murdered in the local park, walking home from school. No one knew why, and no one knew who had done it.
Dec was still crying. He was emotional, but Ant didn't tease him this time. He couldn't bring himself to. It was terrible. How could anyone do such a thing??
Ant put his arm round Dec. That didn't help. Every little actor in that room would need help in some way. It was a shock that none of them would ever forget.
1992
On Dec's 17th birthday, he was working. It was the 4th anniversary of Byker Grove, and there were two big storylines going on to celebrate it.
The first one was the memorial to remember Thomas, Duncan's best friend who had died of a heart attack suddenly four years ago, right at the beginning of the show. It was going to end with a shocking revelation.
The second was that PJ, Duncan's new best friend since Thomas, was going to "come out." Ant didn't like the story, as he knew that because his character was gay, everyone would presume he was too. Dec found it quite funny, but Ant was annoyed that they had to write it into the soap.
"Och!" Ant exclaimed at the end of the day. "Happy birthday, mate!"
Dec laughed. "Thanks. Where's my present then?"
Ant passed him a box. Dec opened it. "Wow!" he said, pulling out a leather watch. It looked really posh."
Ant grinned, then put on a funny face. "You know Dec, I've always been....."
"Your acting's gone to your head mate," Dec laughed, as did Ant. "I don't swing that way, PJ."
"Shame," said Ant, laughing. "See you tomorrow, eh?"
Dec nodded. "Yep. Bye!"