Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway prank receives official complaints
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway returned for the first episode of its new series last weekend, and while most people seemed to enjoy the Geordie duo's return to their Saturday nights, the show received a fair amount of official complaints.
An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed to Digital Spy that the episode received 111 complaints related to a prank the duo played on an expectant father Liam.
Liam's wife Amy had been teaming up with Ant and Dec to prank her husband throughout her pregnancy after she claimed he was always playing practical jokes on her.
The duo then set up a fake 4D scan with an actress posing as a medical professional. The fake scan then showed the baby rocking out to the music that was being played and even waving.
Related: Ant and Dec reveal their worst celebrity interview from SM:TV days
The segment also carried on after the baby, named Finley, was born, with the family taking part in a photoshoot. During the photo session, Liam was made to pull silly faces as a photographer snapped away.
Viewers on Twitter explained why they took umbrage with the prank, with people staying that faking milestone moments in a soon-to-be parent's life for the sake of a joke was a bit too far for them:
Um, this prank on Ant+Dec is weird. They've pranked some chap who's seeing his unborn baby in a 4D scan for the first time. But it's not his baby they're showing. They've stolen quite a precious moment for a first time parent. I think it's off, anyway.#SaturdayNightTakeaway
— Graeme (@astrotomato) February 25, 2023
I think Ant&Dec have gone a bit far faking someone's baby scan and they find out 5 months later? I'm all for a bit of fun but taking the piss at a baby scan is too far for me, that's Jeremy Kyle-esque.
— Ross (@RossUKRFC) February 25, 2023
As great as both #SaturdayNightTakeaway and Ant & Dec are, I can’t help feelslightly uncomfortable at these pregnancy milestones of a Dad’s first child being the basis for these pranks. He’s never going to get those (what he thought were real) moments back? 🤔🥴🤷♂️
— Joe Public (@findthemoron) February 25, 2023
Once the prank had been revealed to Liam, Ant and Dec announced that they had set up a savings account for Finlay and would add £1,000 to it every year until he turns 18 years old.
Shortly before the more than 100 complaints came flooding in, a documentary titled Behind the Screens was announced, which will show all the previously-unseen going-on during production of the current series of Saturday Night Takeaway.
Related: Ant and Dec announce huge career news after 25 years with ITV
"We are really excited to lift the curtain a little on Saturday Night Takeaway," Ant said in a statement.
"We'll have footage of all the ups and downs, the last-minute dramas that come with making a weekly live entertainment show. Believe me, there are lots of dramas that happen behind the scenes."
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway airs on Saturday nights on ITV.
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