Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have spoken about what it was like to interview King Charles at Highgrove House when they visited to mark an important anniversary in the early 2000s
Ant & Dec have spoken about interviewing King Charles(Image: Getty)
Celebrated television hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have sat down with hundreds of individuals throughout their decades in the broadcasting world.
Yet, one of the most distinguished figures they’ve encountered is undoubtedly King Charles, whom they first interviewed while he held the title of Prince of Wales. On their podcast Hanging Out With Ant & Dec, they responded to a listener’s question about what meeting the monarch was like initially and if they felt apprehensive.
What emerged was an account, primarily shared by Dec, of events when the pair were asked to interview the future King at Highgrove House to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust, now known as the King’s Trust, reports the Express.
Dec, 50, explained the initial arrangement had been to interview Charles, now 77, in the grounds at Highgrove. After arriving, they were taken aback when Charles welcomed them indoors.
The celebrity recalled: “We went to Highgrove House to meet him and interview him in the garden. And we were really super duper nervous and he was really relaxed and put us at our ease. He called us in first, he said ‘I want to meet you off camera first so we get to know each other a bit before the cameras start rolling’.
“So, we went in, sit in this room, and he comes in and shook our hands and we sat down and they bring in this massive tray with a big teapot, teacups on it, biscuits and stuff and we sit there and he’s talking to us.”
Charles with Ant & Dec(Image: Getty)
Despite the then future King’s intention having been to put the pair at ease ahead of the interview, Dec admitted he quickly became tremendously distracted by the teapot that turned into an unsettling source of anxiety.
He said: “I’m sitting there going, ‘Who’s going to pour the tea? He’s not going to do it. Do we do it? Are we supposed to do this? Should one of us just dive in?’ I was really distracted.”
Dec revealed that the questions swirling around in his head continued to echo to such a degree that he realised he wasn’t actually paying attention to the then heir to the throne.
He explained: “‘Has this been left for us to do because he’s not going to do it. So have we got to do this?’ I was really distracted through the whole thing. I kind of wasn’t listening to what he was saying because I was too worried.”
The King’s Trust recently marked its 50th anniversary(Image: Getty)
Thankfully Dec’s concerns were swiftly put to rest when a member of staff entered and poured the tea for them, before they subsequently proceeded with the interview.
Once outside in the garden, Dec unwound and concluded: “And then we went out into the garden, interviewed him in the garden, and he was the loveliest loveliest man.”
Earlier this year, the King’s Trust celebrated another landmark moment with its 50th anniversary.
In a video address to mark the occasion, the King, who established the trust using his severance pay from the Royal Navy, said: “Over the last 50 years, the work of my trust has proved beyond doubt that supporting young people through personal development and the acquisition of self-confidence and self-esteem can make a real difference and transform lives.
“As you can perhaps imagine, I am so very pleased, and proud, that the trust’s work continues to go from strength to strength, having in that time helped over 1.3 million young people grow their confidence, continue in education, secure sustainable jobs, and over 92,000 young people, in the UK alone, having been supported to start a business, thus enabling them all to build brighter futures.”
