Ant and Dec sign new deal with Nintendo

By Ellie Gibson Published 17 September, 2009

To star in TV ads and develop games.

Well-loved Geordie TV presenters PJ and Duncan have signed a deal with Nintendo that will "include everything from TV advertising to game development".

From 16th October they'll star in Nintendo UK's biggest ever ad campaign. The ads see Ant and Dec meeting members of the public and asking why, if they love Nintendo so much, they don't just marry it. Or something to that effect. Apparently the duo are big gamers and recently became obsessed with DS title Rhythm Paradise. "I have always been a massive fan of Nintendo consoles," said Ant. "I loved my Nintendo 64 growing up. Mario Kart 64 was my favourite, it kept Dec and I entertained for hours during the PJ and Duncan years! Even today when I play Mario Kart on my Wii, I have a lucky steering wheel at home that's only mine to use!" Dec added, "We're really excited to be working with Nintendo. The TV shows we make are for the whole family to watch together, and Nintendo makes games that the whole family can play together, so it’s the perfect match. The Donnelly family and I are big fans of Wii Sports and I am always challenging my nieces and nephews to games, I especially enjoy trying to get one over on them in an energetic game of baseball!" But what about the game development? Are we likely to see SingStar: PJ & Duncan any time soon?

"We're not talking about development yet - we're going to do that post Christmas," a spokesperson told our friends GamesIndustry.biz.

Psych.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • actionfitz #1 3 years ago

    "Psych"

    lol

  • peterfll #2 3 years ago

    They grew up on Nintendo 64? That just makes me feel OLD.

  • penhalion #3 3 years ago

    It's funny how every star on the planet mysteriously loves games the moment a games company waves money under their noses!

    And just what the hell kind of games could these two idiots make!

  • Ornithophobe #4 3 years ago

    That's it, the line is drawn and whatever side Ant and Dec are on, I'm on the other.

  • DB2k #5 3 years ago

    I can't believe the little one is/was going out with Georgie from Sky Sports News..

  • Doctor_What #6 3 years ago

    Ant & Dec Boxing...

    Let's get ready to rumble!

  • wizlon #7 3 years ago

    way aye man, can't wait to get down toon and tax me one of those geordie games!

  • nuanimal #8 3 years ago

    Seriously there are much more entertaining celebs to help develop games...

    Pete Doherty's Get Wasted (PSP)
    Phil Spector Warped Sense of Reality (360)
    Boris Johnson's English Pronunication Guide (DS)
    Robert Mugabe SimZimbabwe (PC)

    Keep 'em coming!

  • Golgo #9 3 years ago

    To state the bleedin' obvious: Nintendo should've spent the money on game development instead of hiring these juvenile tools.
    Edited by Golgo at 17/09/09 @ 09:35

  • SAMagic #10 3 years ago

    Byker Grove MMO - COME ON!


    Golgo - Ant and Dec are liked by a certain demograph, therefore they're using them to appeal to that group. It's also probably part of a set marketing budget.

  • Golgo #11 3 years ago

    I imagine it's precisely the same demographic wot woz sucked in by the recent clutch of 'sleb' endorsements, such as the Gerrards at home, Wrighty, and all the rest of that blathering crew.

  • AlcohollicA #12 3 years ago

    They are a good 10 years older than me and I grew up on the SNES. Funny that.

  • sneetch #13 3 years ago

    "I loved my Nintendo 64 growing up."

    Just to point out he was 22 when it came out (according to Wikipedia). I guess the "growing-up" part eluded him for a while.

  • TopKatt #14 3 years ago

    Quick everyone, run for your lives!

  • kinky_mong #15 3 years ago

    Pretty sure the "PJ & Duncan years" were the early 90's and the N64 wasn't released in the UK until '95 or '96.

    "ANT PET! YOU LIED TO THE PUBLIC PET! THAT MEANS YOU GONNA HAVE TO BE BUMMED BY YOUR OLD FRENCH TEACHER PET!"

  • General_Zod #16 3 years ago

    Now lets take out our ear pieces.

  • CallousB #17 3 years ago

    Well it's a strong pairing. Excellent idea from a marketing perspective.

    Good move by Nintendo..especially given that the new series of " I'm a celebrity" will be on in the run up to Christmas.

  • CARL05 #18 3 years ago

    "Apparently the duo are big gamers and recently became obsessed with DS title Rhythm Paradise."

    I suppose the pay packet began with immediate effect!

  • gorf #19 3 years ago

    Ants definatly got the forehead for more kawashima brain training games. "Its reet kraniel yanu"

  • Fodder #20 3 years ago

    According to Wikipedia, they were PJ and Duncan until 96, a year before the N64 came out in Europe. Ant is apparently a big fibber. Or rather the PR person who wrote that quote didn't bother to check the dates.

  • gjgjg #21 3 years ago

    ahhh wrong wrong more wrong
    Edited by gjgjg at 17/09/09 @ 12:44

  • Daryoon #22 3 years ago

    Ant and Dec are great, stop railing on them just because they're popular with The Real World and you want kudos from all your cool ALT buddies D: D: D:

    I hope Nintendo try to sell their systems on games that aren't 5 years old, though. DS ads focused on Brain Training, 42 All-time Classics and (not so)New Super Mario Bros do make me chortle, but at the same time I imagine what it must be like to be a 3rd party developer (do they even bother with DS ads?)

  • makeamazing #23 3 years ago

    I agree, no need to give them grief... actually credit to them doing extrememly well since Byker Grove... those were the days... I guess its just typical of us british to slag off people who are successful and done nothing wrong... there are many so called celebs much much worse than these two.

    As for staring in Nintendo ad's, thats a good idea, these two are well known tv people. Cant be any worse ad than Sony's face advert or NG2 boob movement ads... being a fan of sony, even i admit anyone can do better than that. Of course the DS had Patrick Stewart... why cant Sony do something cool like that :|

  • JetSetWilly #24 3 years ago

    The N64 was originally PJ's, but Duncan nicked it off him after he was blinded in that horrific paintballing accident. Such a tragedy.

  • Vin #25 3 years ago

    Two of the most irritable celebs promoting an even more irritable console.

    Give me STRENGTH lord.

  • The_Inquisitor #26 3 years ago

    MMMMMIIIIIIISSSSSSTTTTTTYYYYYY!!!!!!

    for those that don't know what I mean... this isn't the first time they have been involved with a Nintendo product. :)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l08XV0nuh...

  • smelly #27 3 years ago

    Thats it.

    I'm selling my wii

    smelly is no longer a nintendo fanboy.

  • almighty-slayer #28 3 years ago

    ...And this is a good thing from which angle exactly? I can't see them making any good games.

  • Moribundman #29 3 years ago

    Yeah. That'll get the gamers in.

    Who exactly looks to Ant and Dec as role models?

    Middle aged women and kids? Yeah I guess that'll do for Nintendo...

  • Dan234 #30 3 years ago

    Look on the bright side, the price cut at the end of this month will mean there's less money for this nonsense next year.

  • THATinkjar #31 3 years ago

    Ant & Dec Modern Warfare 3.

    50,000 fans used to live here.