Ant and Dec are to be the new hosts of the Brit Awards – 14 years after they last fronted the show.

The duo succeed James Corden, who stepped down after hosting the event for four years running.

The show could do with some of their ratings magic after the audience collapsed last year with the lowest figures since 2006, with just 4.6 million watching on ITV.

When the Geordie pair previously hosted the Brits in 2001, the show pulled in an average audience four million higher than last year’s show.

Ant and Dec, who will present the show from the O2 Arena in London on February 25 next year, achieved their own chart-topping hit last year when Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble went to number one, 19 years after they first released it during their pop career as PJ & Duncan.

The pair are also experienced as hosts of music shows having presented Pop Idol from 2001, as well as ITV Saturday morning show CD:UK with Cat Deeley, who also went on to be a Brits host in 2004.

Just this week Ant and Dec tied up a deal for the rights to their TV hit Saturday Night Takeaway, which is being made for the US with Neil Patrick Harris as presenter.

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