National Treasures Ant & Dec Are Crowned Best Celebrity Friendship by British Mums and Dads in New Survey By Thomas & Friends

CELEBRATING ‘INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FRIENDSHIP’ ON 30 JULY

Ant & Dec gained nearly 3 in 5 of all votes from 2,000 UK parents when asked to name their best celebrity friendship for new Thomas & Friends International Friendship Survey

Holly Willoughby came in second and third place with her friendships with Phillip Schofield and Fearne Cotton both highly regarded by mums and dads across the country

David Beckham & Gordon Ramsay and Billie & Sam Faiers make up the Top 5 best celebrity friendships taking fourth and fifth place respectively

The poll also ran in seven other countries and in total asked 12,000 parents about their views on their children’s friendships

Ant & Dec have been crowned best celebrity friendship by parents in the UK for a new survey from children’s brand Thomas & Friends, released today ahead of annual UN International Day of Friendship on 30 July.

The multi-award-winning comedy TV duo, who have been best friends both on and off screen for over 27 years since meeting on the set of children’s drama series Byker Grove, gained nearly 3 in 5 of all votes (58%) from 2,000 millennial mums and dads with kids aged 2-5 years old, who took part in the Thomas & Friends International Friendship Survey.

This Morning host Holly Willoughby came second and third place in survey – her friendship with fellow host on the show Phillip Schofield received 34% of all votes in the runners-up position and her friendship with broadcaster Fearne Cotton came in third place with 18%.

The two other celebrity friendships completing the top 5 are David Beckham & Gordon Ramsay and Billie & Sam Faiers, which were both highly rated in the new study, which ran in 8 major countries and also questioned 12,000 parents about their views on their children’s first friendships.

A love of Newcastle United and films first brought Ant and Dec together as friends. They had seen one other on the set of Byker Grove but paid little attention to each other. Reportedly Ant hated Dec's jokes, Dec thought Ant miserable. But soon the pair became inseparable as their characters found themselves in more scenes together, so a friendship grew.

“We’d never met before but the two characters became friends so ultimately we would be hanging around on set waiting for our scenes to be done or hanging out in the Green Room, or sitting next to each other when we were getting tutored,” recalled Dec in a recent interview about their friendship.

“We then got to be in scenes together and honestly it was sat there talking about Newcastle United and the games and who our favourite players were and who we didn’t like – it’s the same chat as we have now to be honest, 25 years on – that’s how we bonded really,” says Ant.

UK MUMS & DADS’ TOP 10 BEST CELEBRITY FRIENDSHIPS

1) Ant & Dec
2) Holly Willoughby & Phillip Schofield
3) Holly Willoughby & Fearne Cotton
4) David Beckham & Gordon Ramsay
5) Billie & Sam Faiers
6) Gregg Wallace & John Torode
7) Nick Grimshaw & Harry Styles
8) Victoria Beckham
9) Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow
10) Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

The release of the findings today by Thomas & Friends has been timed to coincide with the upcoming UN International Day of Friendship on Sunday 30 July and the wider results of the poll help to paint an important picture of modern parents’ attitudes towards their children’s first friendships – and the steps mums and dads from different countries take to nurture and maintain their children’s important relationships with other youngsters. Thomas & Friends, as a global brand franchise, is today enjoyed by families in more than 150 territories with its content is appearing in over 40 different languages. This year Thomas & Friends is celebrating and solidifying its status as a social-connector brand for kids with an important role of helping children to forge their first friendships through encouraging positive playtime. The brand’s motto this year which is used across all business lines, “Set Friendship in Motion,” being testament to this.

The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that emphasises that the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence should be instilled in children through education. If children learn to live together in peace and harmony that will contribute to the strengthening of international peace and cooperation.

About Thomas & Friends™
Thomas & Friends franchise and fan base continues to go from strength to strength including becoming a regular fixture at cinemas around the world. The previous movie special, The Great Race, enjoying a theatrical release in countries including UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and for the first time ever, Italy, with over 70 cinemas taking part in the screenings. Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago by a British clergyman, the Rev W Awdry, as a storybook for his son. That story quickly grew to become the award-winning global brand franchise it is today, enjoyed by families in more than 150 territories and in over 40 languages across multiple touch-points and formats, including: 400+ original TV shows; 11 feature-length films; 14 websites in nine languages; apps; toys (ranked number one property in the pre-school toys category in the UK and Australia and number two in the US); consumer products; publishing; live attractions and much more. Thomas & Friends has scooped prestigious accolades including a Parent’s Choice Award, a Webby and a Licensing Award for Best Classic Licensed Property. The famous and cheeky No.1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train. Together, the children and engines embark on timeless adventures while experiencing valuable yet fun life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends™ is viewable on more than 30 world-class broadcasters including PBS KIDS® in the US, Super RTL in Germany, and on Five’s Milkshake! and Nick Jr. in the UK. Downloadable episodes are available through iTunes and on YouTube . For more information about the wonderful world of Thomas & Friends, please visit on Facebook and Twitter: @ThomasFriend

About UN International day of Friendship
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO and taken up by the UN General Assembly in 1997 (A/RES/52/13), which defined the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. In its resolution of 1998, proclaiming the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001–2010) (A/RES/53/25), the General Assembly recognized that enormous harm and suffering are caused to children through different forms of violence. It emphasized that the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence should be instilled in children through education. If children learn to live together in peace and harmony that will contribute to the strengthening of international peace and cooperation. The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.