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Entertainment
Lucy Buglass

Ant and Dec announce new Byker Grove episodes after 17 years

Ant and Dec as PJ and Duncan

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have revealed that nineties TV classic Byker Grove will make a comeback after 17 years.

The hit TV series was set in an area of Newcastle and aired on the BBC from 1989 to 2006. Byker Grove focused on the lives of young people who attended the youth club of the same name.

Ant and Dec's characters were among them, and they quickly shot to fame as PJ and Duncan, becoming particularly well-known for their pop song "Let's Get Ready to Rumble".

Now, the duo has some very exciting news for fans. Despite the series being off-air for nearly two decades, they have revealed Byker Grove is making a comeback and they'll get the opportunity to showcase more of their hometown.

Appearing in a video shared to social media, Dec said: "Ant and Dec here with some pretty exciting news that we wanted to share with you all..."

In the video, Ant interrupts, joking: "Don't you mean PJ and Duncan here with some pretty exciting news?" and Dec replies: "You could say that. That is a clue, it's a nice clue. Don't worry, we're not making another album."

The pair went on: "The very exciting news is that 17 years after it closed its doors for the final time, Byker Grove is opening them up again."

According to production company Fulwell 73, the project will simply be called Byker and will be aimed "at a primetime audience" where they hope to "engage with a new generation of teenagers navigating the different challenges faced by young adults today".

Talking a bit more about the project, Dec added that they want the series to "shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it".

He concluded: "Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited.

"We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do."

Full casting and release details have not yet been confirmed, but we will keep you updated when we have more information about Byker.

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