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​Audience Accidentally Laugh During Tragic Family Story On Saturday Night Takeaway

​Audience Accidentally Laugh During Tragic Family Story On Saturday Night Takeaway

And and Dec had decided to dish out a surprise to one well-deserving family, after they had been through a particularly difficult year

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Ant and Dec had a seriously awkward moment to handle on Saturday Night Takeaway when the audience laughed at something on the screen behind them - just as the hosts were talking about a family's tragic story.

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway returned to our tellies last night with the first episode of a new series.

To kick things off, the Geordie duo decided to dish out a surprise to one well-deserving family, who had been through a particularly difficult year.

The presenters revealed that the two people receiving the surprise were actually audience members Petra and Simon Williams, and showed them on a screen queuing outside the studio - having been told that tonight's audience was full, but if they hung around they might be able to get some seats.

Petra and Simon.
ITV

Ant explained: "What they don't know is that we've actually saved two seats for them because we're about to give them the surprise of their life."

Dec added: "That's because they're part of an extraordinary family. They live up in the north east and they've got three lovely kids - Amelia Paige, Leyla Grace and Bailey."

Ant then said: "Tragically three years ago they lost their daughter Darcey-Lee when she was just nine and a half weeks old."

It was at this moment that the audience began to laugh - much to Ant and Dec's shock and horror.

It turned out that the crowd had clocked Simon helping his wife Petra pick her teeth on the big screen behind Ant and Dec, which couldn't have come at a worse moment.

ITV

In an attempt to move the uncomfortable moment along, Ant continued: "OK, let's not concentrate on the picture for the moment."

Viewers at home also weren't sure whether to laugh or cry, with one tweeting: "Not like a British audience to be distracted by a screen when someone is talking about something serious like the death of a baby #saturdaynighttakeaway."

Another said: "Well that wasn't awkward at all, bad time to laugh Audience! #takeaway #saturdaynighttakeaway."

Thankfully, Petra and Simon weren't waiting out in the cold all night, and were eventually surprised with the news that the show had bought them a house.

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Ant and Dec