Talent agency James Grant Group has acquired Gallowgate, the production company belonging to its high-profile clients Ant & Dec (Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly). The move follows the untimely death of Gallowgate managing director Ed Forsdick in 2011.

The deal will not see James Grant enter production itself. Instead Gallowgate will act as a focal point for idea development, with successful concepts co-produced in partnerships with other producers.

Although the first project on the slate is a new series of Ant & Dec”s Saturday Night Takeaway with ITV Studios, the idea is that Gallowgate will create vehicles for other onscreen talent too.