‘I think we realised it was a statement to a degree, but I don’t think we realised how big a statement it was until afterwards,’ Declan Donnelly – one half of Ant and Dec – tells me as we meet in their dressing room. Ant McPartlin and his teammate of the last 30 years, Dec, are without a doubt the country’s most cherished and valued presenters. Everything they touch brings in millions of viewers, they’re easily the safest bet for success – but they haven’t earned their unbroken record of 24 NTAs for best presenter by avoiding risks. Even when they didn’t know how big a risk they were taking.
![[Ant and Dec perform in drag on Saturday Night Takeaway]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234621203-293f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The statement Dec is referring to took many by surprise. On February 19, 2022, at the end of an episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, And and Dec introduced Lady Antionette and Miss Donna Lee to viewers – their new drag queen personas. For the LGBTQ+ community, it was a big deal – much bigger than they knew. Even two years on over the Christmas period, just the appearance of any drag queen on mainstream television sparked enough complaints to be trending across social media – mainly X.
![[Ant and Dec present Limitless Win]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234620913-b293.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
When trans people, drag queens and the LGBTQ+ community are being scrutinised beyond the realms of rationality and common sense, Ant and Dec celebrated it with such authenticity and care that it meant the world. They essentially said, ‘we’ve got your back’ when it felt braver than it should to say so.
![[Ant and Dec present Limitless Win with two contestants]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234620983-d437.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
