Anthony David McPartlin

Anthony David 'Ant' McPartlin (b. 18 November 1975) is most famously known as one half of the English comedy and television presenting duo Ant & Dec, with the other being Declan Donnelly. He came to prominence in the children's drama series Byker Grove and as one half of the pop music duo PJ & Duncan. Since then, Ant & Dec have had a very successful career as TV presenters, presenting programmes such as: They have also returned to acting, starring in a 2002 Tribute to The Likely Lads and the 2006 film Alien Autopsy.

Career
First appearing on television in the children's workshop programme Why Don't You?, Ant rose to prominence portraying PJ in the Children's BBC series Byker Grove. Also a cast member of the show was future partner Declan Donnelly, portraying the character Duncan. Life soon imitated art as the duo became the best of friends not only on set, but outside the series as well. Under the name "PJ & Duncan AKA", they enjoyed considerable success recording several hit records, kicking off with a song that they had performed on ''Byker Grove called "Tonight I'm Free."

Since his departure from the series in 1993, Ant has appeared with Dec in such programmes as SMTV Live, Friends Like These, Pop Idol, Britain's Got Talent, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, PokerFace and Push the Button. He has also returned to acting, along with Dec, starring in a 2002 Tribute to The Likely Lads and the 2006 film Alien Autopsy.

In April 2009, along with Dec, Ant gained world-wide exposure when the duo interviewed contestant Susan Boyle as backstage commentators for Britain's Got Talent. Boyle's audition - complete with reactions from A&D - went on to become the most viewed YouTube video of the year and her record-breaking album topped sales charts in dozens of countries.

Personal Life
On 22 July 2006 Ant married longtime girlfriend and make-up artist Lisa Armstrong at Cliveden, a hotel in Buckinghamshire. They met when they were both performing at a pop concert at Newcastle City Hall in 1994. McPartlin was there as part of PJ & Duncan AKA, whilst Armstrong was in the pop band Deuce.

On 8 March 2011 whilst watching a football match and relaxing in a local pub, Ant was apparently the subject of an unprovoked attack by an unknown assailant who then fled the scene.

McPartlin was formerly a Labour Party supporter. However at the 2010 election he voted for the Conservatives. In February 2013, he told The Guardian newspaper that he would struggle to justify voting for the Conservatives or the Labour Party "at the moment".

Controversy
In 2002, McPartlin was temporarily banned from driving after being caught speeding at 127 mph through County Durham in his Audi TT.

In 2007 it was discovered that two shows, Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which he co-presented with Donnelly, had defrauded viewers participating in phone-ins. The latter was produced by the pair's own production company.