<P> Ant is the taller out of the two at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), and Dec is two inches shorter at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m). To assist with identification, they follow the 180 - degree rule; with the exception of some early publicity shots . </P> <P> They have their own production company, Mitre Television, where they produce their shows . In a 2004 poll for the BBC, Ant & Dec were named the eighteenth most influential people in British culture . </P> <P> McPartlin and Donnelly met while working on the BBC children's drama Byker Grove in 1989 . After a shaky start, they soon became best friends . They have achieved such popularity as a duo that they are hardly seen apart on screen . It is reported that they are each insured against the other's death, with the amount reportedly being around £ 1 million . </P> <P> Although Ant had gained some television experience with a brief stint on the children's television series Why Don't You?, which was broadcast on the BBC, Dec was the first of the two to acquire his place on the BBC children's drama Byker Grove . He joined in 1989, playing Duncan . A year later, Ant joined the cast to play PJ . Their friendship began when their storylines collided, creating a friendship off - screen as well as on . Dec also played a stable boy in the adaptation of the novel The Cinder Path in his teenage years . They also went on to co-star in the 2006 sci - fi comedy movie Alien Autopsy . </P>

When did ant and dec star in byker grove