Ant and Dec discover I’m A Celeb theme tune uses PJ and Duncan sample

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By REBECCA DAVISON, DEPUTY HEAD OF SHOWBIZ 09:53 07 Oct 2026, updated 10:21 07 Oct 2026

Ant and Dec have joked that they might have to sue one another after making a discovery about the I’m A Celebrity theme tune.

Speaking on the Hanging Out With Ant & Dec podcast on Tuesday, the pair read out a letter from a fan who has noticed that I’m A Celebrity appeared to use a sample from a 1993 PJ and Duncan track.

Playing it, they appeared sceptical at first, before looking utterly gobsmacked when they heard the similarities.

Dec read: ‘My daughter Laurie figured out that the iconic drum beat intro of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is actually a sample from Tonight I’m Free (Cool Mix) by PJ And Duncan.

Dec continued reading: ‘Do Ant and Dec even know this fact?’

And Ant replied: ‘We have to play this, because we might sue ourselves.’

Dec tried to suppress his giggles as he played the track but after a few seconds, the exact same intro from I’m A Celebrity boomed out.

‘Oh my God. It is.’ roared Ant. ‘Do it again, do it again.’

Dec said: ‘Right, someone is getting sued. I am going to sue you.’

And pointing his finger, Ant added: ‘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.’

But it turns out the sample may date back further than the 90s.

@c7pia wrote in the comments on the Belta Box Instagram post: ‘The original sample is from Africano by Earth, Wind & Fire (1:17)… Nice find though!’

And @joebleasdalereal added: ‘It’s a really famous drum sample from the song Africano by Earth Wind & Fire. You can also hear it in Midnight Gloria by Keiino, among many other songs.’

The I’m A Celebrity theme tune was written by composer Grant Buckerfield in 2002.

Ant and Dec have hosted the show for 24 years since its launch.

The pair became household names after starring as PJ And Duncan on teen drama Byker Grove in 1989, which led to their music career before they became TV hosts.

The pop hits included Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble, Eternal Love and Stuck On You.

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