Ant & Dec Launch a Podcast — Is Celebrity Radio the New TV Extension?

Feeling swamped by endless streaming options? Ant & Dec's new podcast might be the shortcut you didn't know you needed.

If one of your pain points is finding reliable, entertaining content — and figuring out where to follow a favourite talent across platforms — Ant & Dec's new audio move lands squarely in that space. In January 2026 the duo announced Hanging Out, a podcast hosted on their Belta Box digital channel that promises casual catch-ups, listener Q&A and clips tied to their long TV career. For fans, it's another place to reconnect; for the industry, it's another data point in the rise of celebrity audio as an extension of TV brands.

What happened: the quick take

Ant & Dec launching Hanging Out is a deliberate step into an ecosystem that, for many celebrities, began years ago. They are late to the party compared with peers who moved into podcasting in the mid-2010s, but that lateness can be strategic: they arrive with an enormous, loyal audience and cross-platform reach. Their announcement — built around the simple creative brief fans gave them — places the show on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and conventional podcast platforms. The question now is whether their famous on-screen chemistry translates to audio and what metrics will define success in 2026.

Why timing matters: late-to-podcasting isn't always late

By 2026 the podcast landscape has matured. Platforms and monetization models that were experimental in 2018–2020 are now mainstream. Two trends are important here:

• Subscription economics have scaled. Case in point: Goalhanger, the production company behind hits like The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Politics, exceeded 250,000 paying subscribers in early 2026, generating roughly — and that scale shows how direct-to-fan models can fund larger talent teams.
• Cross‑platform discoverability matters. Shows that use short‑form video clips, search‑friendly episode notes, and platform‑native discovery (including social audio features) tend to convert casual viewers into paying listeners. See writing on live content SEO and discoverability for best practices.

For hosts and production partners, the practical checklist looks familiar: build an audience funnel that bridges social clips, search discoverability, and a paid layer (exclusive episodes, merch drops, or tokenized releases). For monetization experiments and serialized releases, the industry is already testing token and drop mechanics like those covered in analyses of the serialization renaissance.

Where Ant & Dec have an advantage is in audience loyalty and brand extension. If they can pair simple production with smart distribution and a clear pay model, Hanging Out could be a useful short-form companion to their TV work — and a template for other legacy TV talent who are thinking about audio as a strategic extension rather than an afterthought.

Practical considerations for talent thinking about a podcast

• Plan distribution across short‑form social and long‑form feeds; optimize episode notes and timestamps for discoverability (see SEO & platform playbooks).
• Decide early on monetization: ad-supported, subscription, micro‑transactions, or serialized drops (tokenized episodes).
• Invest in a small field kit for consistent remote recording — portability and reliability beat novelty (field kit reviews and local recorder guides).
• Have a cross‑platform content plan: short clips for discovery, long episodes for depth, and clear CTAs to convert listeners to followers/subscribers (merch & micro‑drops playbooks are useful for monetization complements).

What to watch next

Will Hanging Out be a ratings success, a steady revenue stream, or both? Watch the first 12 weeks: engagement on short clips, subscriber conversion rates, and any cross‑platform funnel metrics will tell the story. If the duo leans into serialized limited drops or live subscriber events, they can also test scarcity‑driven models that have worked elsewhere in 2026.

Bottom line

Ant & Dec's move into podcasting is a logical extension of a long TV career and strong brand. With the right distribution playbook — including discoverability, field recording consistency, and clear monetization mechanics — Hanging Out can be more than a vanity project: it can be a template for legacy talent to expand reach in an increasingly platform‑diverse audio economy.

Related Reading

• Launching a co-op podcast: lessons from Ant & Dec and a starter checklist
• What Bluesky’s New Features Mean for Live Content SEO and Discoverability
• The Serialization Renaissance and Bitcoin Content: Tokenized Episodes, Limited Drops, and New Release Strategies (2026)
• JioStar’s Streaming Surge: What India’s $883M Quarter Means for Small-Cap Media Plays