For all consumed with sorrow that Ant and Dec were not at last Saturday’s High Road House party, they both have a very good excuse.

Rarely seen apart since their Byker Grove days, the same was true on Saturday when Ant married his long time love Lisa Armstrong with Dec as his best man.

At the reception in Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire, Dec rose to the occasion and delivered a hilarious speech which began "As you know, I'm the best man - I've always known that, but it's taken Ant a while to realize!”

He continued "Traditionally, the best man offers words of advice on girls and marriage. I don't know why they've asked me. I don't have a girlfriend and I'm not married, but I'm sure there's a girl for me just around the corner – unless the police have moved her on."

Although not wishing to dash the hopes of Chiswick singletons, it should be noted that Dec spent a good deal of the wedding reception with his former girlfriend Clare and even confessed "never say never" to giving their relationship another go.

Ant and Dec, who appeared together as teenagers in the BBC show Byker Grove and went on to have a brief pop career as PJ and Duncan, have been named in a list of the UK's 50 greatest TV stars, for a programme due to be shown later this year.

September 13, 2006