Ant and Dec Reflect on BRIT Awards Hosting and Hint at Coldplay ‘Beef’

Ant and Dec have revealed their reasons for no longer wanting to host the BRIT Awards, citing the chaotic atmosphere and difficulties securing artist interviews. The presenting duo, who hosted the ceremony in 2001, 2015, and 2016, shared their experiences on their podcast, “Hanging Out.”

Why They Stepped Away From Hosting

According to Ant, a primary reason for their decision to “never again” host the BRITs is the event’s party atmosphere. “Everybody in the room just wants to get drunk and have a good time,” he explained, making it challenging to manage the show and secure planned interviews.

The duo recounted instances where artists, including Coldplay, would agree to interviews before the show but then change their minds at the last minute. Dec jokingly referred to this as “the beginning of Ant’s beef with Chris Martin.” Ant quickly clarified, “I don’t have beef.”

A Memorable Madonna Moment

Ant and Dec also reminisced about a particularly chaotic moment during the 2015 BRIT Awards, involving Madonna. They missed the incident live on air, where Madonna’s cape became entangled, causing her to tumble down the stairs.

“We throw the Madonna on zero,” Dec recalled. “And we turn to each other, we’re like ‘Yes we’ve landed this plane.’ Somebody came over, handed us a glass of champagne each… And then we set on the TV, and like top story on the news, ‘Madonna falls at The BRITs.’ And we’re like ‘What no she’s not she’s just performing there?’ We missed the whole thing.”

Past Nominations and Oasis

The duo also shared a memory of being nominated for a BRIT Award in the 1990s, facing off against the band Oasis. They were nominated for Best Newcomer in 1994, an award ultimately won by Oasis.

“They were a band from Manchester called Oasis,” Ant said. Dec added jokingly, “Yeah, they won Best Newcomer that year. I don’t think they achieved much. They didn’t do anything.”

Despite their experiences, Ant and Dec acknowledged the importance of the BRIT Awards for British music. Ant stated, “It’s actually a really good night if you’re there as somebody who’s been nominated.”