Ant and Dec Joke About Suing Each Other Over 'I'm A Celebrity' Theme Tune Sample

Ant and Dec, the long-time hosts of "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!," have humorously considered suing each other after uncovering a potential sample in the show's theme tune. The discovery links the iconic intro to a 1993 track by their former musical duo, PJ and Duncan.

During an episode of their podcast, "Hanging Out With Ant & Dec," the presenters read a listener's letter suggesting the drum beat of the "I'm A Celebrity" theme originated from "Tonight I'm Free (Cool Mix)" by PJ and Duncan. Initially skeptical, Ant and Dec were astonished when they played the PJ and Duncan song and heard the striking similarities.

"Oh my God. It is," Ant exclaimed after hearing the track. Dec responded with mock indignation, stating, "Right, someone is getting sued. I am going to sue you." Ant playfully countered, "And I'm going to sue you. I'm going to counter sue. So then we both win. And we're both quids in. Let's sue each other."

However, further comments from listeners suggested the sampled drum beat might originate even earlier. One social media user pointed out that the original sample could be from the song "Africano" by Earth, Wind & Fire, dating the root of the sound back further than the 1990s.

The theme tune for "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!" was composed by Grant Buckerfield in 2002. Ant and Dec have hosted the reality competition series for its entire 24-year run since its debut. The pair first rose to prominence in 1989 as PJ and Duncan, characters on the teen drama "Byker Grove," which launched their music careers before transitioning to television hosting.

Their music career as PJ and Duncan produced several hit songs, including "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble," "Eternal Love," and "Stuck On You."