Ant And Dec Recount Embarrassing Night At King’s Estate

It’s not every day that two of Britain’s most beloved television hosts find themselves in a spot of royal trouble. Yet, that’s exactly what happened to Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly—better known to millions as Ant and Dec—during an overnight stay at King Charles’s Scottish country estate, Dumfries House. The duo, both aged 50, recently recounted their “embarrassing” experience during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, and the story has quickly become a favorite among fans and royal watchers alike.

The saga began when Ant and Dec were invited to shadow the then-Prince of Wales for a year, filming the documentary When Ant and Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years of The Prince’s Trust. According to BBC, the program followed the future king as he celebrated four decades of his charity work. The year-long project offered the duo a unique glimpse into royal life, culminating in an invitation to spend the night at Dumfries House in Ayrshire before their final interview with Charles.

“We were asked if we would like to spend the night at the house ahead of the final interview. We were like ‘Hell, yes!’ It was amazing and everything you’d imagine,” Ant shared on The Graham Norton Show, as reported by Daily Mail. The pair’s excitement, however, quickly led to some unintended hilarity.

Ant recounted how, upon finding a luxurious robe in his room, he couldn’t resist trying it on. “I tried on the robe that was in my room and ran out into the corridor to find Dec and there was the prince. He said ‘hello’ and started talking to me about pruning roses. I was so embarrassed,” Ant admitted, drawing laughter from the studio audience and viewers alike.

Dec chimed in, adding, “We then had wine in the room and got a bit noisy. We took it a bit far and were asked to be quiet!” The hosts’ enthusiasm for their royal sleepover may have gotten the better of them, but their candid storytelling has only endeared them further to the public.

The pair’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show on January 23, 2026—broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer at 11:20 pm—wasn’t just about their royal escapades. They also discussed the launch of their new podcast, Hanging Out with Ant & Dec. The podcast, which debuted on January 22, 2026, was conceived as a way for the friends to stay connected despite their busy family lives. “We both have small kids and live further apart so if a podcast is in the diary, it forces us to get out and get together,” Dec explained, according to Daily Mail. “We know each other inside out and we make each other laugh so hopefully people will like it.”

However, not everyone in their households is entirely comfortable with the idea. Dec admitted, “Our wives are more nervous than us – they think we might give too much away.” Ant, meanwhile, described the podcast as “just two mates catching up.”

Their podcast has already touched on personal themes, with Dec revealing his struggle to stick to New Year’s resolutions—particularly when it comes to abstaining from alcohol. “I was doing dry January. I lasted a week,” he confessed, noting that the stress of parenting his two children, Isla and Jack, led him to abandon his goal after just eight days. “They’ve been feral since New Year, and they went back to school for that first week… So I was going to do dry January, in the end, Saturday night, put them to bed and opened up all the wine.”

Ant, who has been sober for nearly eight years, responded with characteristic humor and support. “Wow, well, well, well done. I’m proud of you. As someone who’s been sober nearly eight years, I’m very proud of you. I’m proud of your eight days.”

Ant also shared his own resolution: to improve his vocabulary and curb his swearing, particularly as his 20-month-old son Wilder is picking up new words at a rapid pace. “He learned the word bumble the other day, which is good. Which is the name of one of our dogs, but he just came out with it. Bumble, Bumble. But he said that, and I thought, ‘I’ve really got to curb the swearing.’ So I download an app, which gives you a word every day,” Ant explained, as reported by Daily Mail.

Behind the laughs, the duo also discussed more serious topics. Dec spoke openly about his experiences with anxiety and the benefits of therapy. “I struggle a bit with it, it’s kind of a low level, constant anxiety about ‘should be doing this’ or ‘I’ve got to be doing...’ I never feel I can sit down and just watch telly, I always feel like I should be doing something else. There’s that anxiety that there’s a job that needs to be done somewhere and I should be doing it. I struggle with that a lot, with trying to calm that voice in the back of your head that’s going, ‘no, you should be using this time more productively’. I went through a period of having therapy about five, five or six years ago. I really got a lot out of it. I really enjoyed it,” Dec shared, according to BBC.

Ant and Dec’s careers have spanned decades, with the Geordie duo fronting some of the UK’s most popular entertainment shows, including Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain’s Got Talent, and Ant And Dec’s Limitless Win. Their ability to entertain audiences of all ages is something they take seriously. “To entertain the whole family is no mean feat, and you’ve got to try and grab each generation and entertain them. It’s entertainment, it’s fun, but we take it incredibly seriously,” Dec noted.

Not all recent publicity has been positive, however. Earlier in January 2026, Ant and Dec faced backlash for a social media post promoting their podcast that was widely criticized as insensitive to suicide. The post, which showed shoes and trouser legs dangling above the ground, was quickly removed after complaints. “We did not mean to cause any offence with this promo video and we are sorry if it has upset anyone. We have taken on board the comments and have deleted the video,” representatives for the pair said, as reported by Daily Mail.

Despite the occasional misstep, Ant and Dec’s genuine friendship, willingness to share their vulnerabilities, and knack for storytelling continue to win over audiences. Their royal sleepover may have been a bit too lively for palace standards, but it’s clear that the duo’s charm and relatability remain undimmed, whether they’re in a Scottish estate or behind a podcast microphone.