'Ant and Dec on telly' is 104-year-old great gran's secret to long life

by · Birmingham Live

A great-gran has attributed her long life to watching Geordie duo Ant and Dec on TV. Ros Osbourne, who just turned 104, was devoted to watching the duo's hit show Saturday Night Takeaway.

She tuned in religiously to all 139 episodes from its start in 2002 right through to the last one this year. It’s not only SNT she is fond of; she also enjoys catching the pair on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and Britain's Got Talent.

This year's celebration was an eventful one held on October 30, with Ros surrounded by family and friends at HC-One’s Sheraton Court Care Home in Hartlepool, County Durham. When pressed for her secret to such an impressive life span, Ros shared: "Plenty of rest and watching your favourite television programme."

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Her enthusiasm for Ant and Dec’s antics clearly knows no bounds as she revealed: "I love watching Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. I also like always having something to look forward too."

Born on the very same day back in 1920 in South Shields, Ros has led a storied life, working in industries ranging from biscuits to tobacco. World War Two saw her move to Manchester, but she eventually returned north, where she found employment with a mail-order company and a department store.

She married husband Edwin in 1943, and together they had a son, Norman. Ros's family now includes two grandsons, as well as a great-grandson and great-granddaughter.

Family means everything to Ros, which shows in how her son travelled from his home in Spain to be with her on this special occasion, and her niece Heather made the trip from South Shields to join in the festivities.

Care home manager Hollie Rhodes shared the joy of a special celebration, saying: "It was great to be able to celebrate Ros’s special day." Sharing a light-hearted moment, she added: "When we asked Ros how she felt about being 104 years old, she replied with 'old' and started to laugh."