Ant and Dec recall their worst ever celebrity interview: ‘It was bad’

Ant and Dec have revealed that their worst celebrity interview on TV show SM:TV Live was Christina Aguilera.

The beloved presenting duo fronted the children’s Saturday morning show alongside Cat Deeley between 1998 and 2003.

At the time, it became an instant hit with kids and adults alike for its high-energy challenges, comedy skits, and its ability to attract the biggest names in showbiz.

However, not everyone was up for the show’s high-octane format, most notably Aguilera, who refused to embrace the chaos.

McPartlin told Huff Post: “She sat there in her shades, and wouldn’t take them off. It was a pre-recorded interview, because she didn’t want to do it live.

“Everything pointed towards it being a bad interview. And it turned out to be a bad interview.”

Despite the frosty exchange, the pair revealed the show experienced a huge turning point when Sting agreed to come on, which they said changed the trajectory of the series.

Recalling their first big interview, McPartlin continued: "I think he agreed to do it because we were Geordies.

“And as soon as we got him, other people started saying, ‘Oh if Sting’s been in it, then I’ll do it’. And in the end, everybody who was anybody was on the show.”

The show was a runaway success, attracting audiences of 2.5 million over its five-year run.

Deeley, Donnelly and McPartlin delighted fans in 2020 when they reunited 24 years after the show aired for a one-off Christmas special.

The trio took a massive trip down memory lane to the days they woke up the nation and revisited some of the programme’s funniest moments, as well as their regular skits including Friends parody Chums, the Mastermind-esque Challenge Ant, footy-inspired shoot out Eat My Goal and phone-in competition Wonkey Donkey.