'Cruel' baby prank on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway lands more than 100 Ofcom complaints
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has confirmed it's received over 100 complaints from viewers of the latest episode of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. Catch the prank here:
On Saturday (25 February), Ant and Dec took to people's screens via ITV to host their popular variety show, revealing they'd been following a young couple named Amy and Liam for the past year.
They had even tagged along when the couple had gone for a scan of their baby.
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Dec told the studio as well as at-home viewers: "Last summer, Amy told us she was three months pregnant.
"All parents know one of the most exciting moments of the pregnancy journey is when you go for a scan and you get to see your baby."
Little did Liam know, but a camera followed the couple to the first 'scan' of their child four weeks later - 'a state-of-the-art 4D scan' which saw the unborn child wave at its father.
Alas, Dec revealed to Liam live on Saturday night's show, the scan had actually been 'fake' and 'set up' by him and Ant as one of multiple pranks played on the couple and filmed for the show.
Ofcom has since confirmed that its received 111 complaints over the pranks and 19 reports over other parts of the same episode.
Many viewers also flocked to Twitter soon after the episode in outrage over the 'insensitive' prank.
One said: "Poor bloke probably heartbroken now that his baby didn’t actually wave at him in the scan horrible prank that…Ant and Dec gone down in my estimations #SaturdayNightTakeaway."
"And I thought Ant and Dec's career low point was the awful Santander adverts. The baby scan 'prank' should have been called out as crass by a member of the production staff when it was first suggested," another wrote.
A third commented: "Not sure how that ‘prank’ got the green light on #SaturdayNightTakeaway unborn babies & scans where people receive bad news every day are not funny & shouldn’t be the subject of jokes.
"Someone might want to tell @antanddec about #babylossawareness."
While a final added: "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."
However, other viewers defended the prank.
One argued: "The couple involved absolutely loved the prank and their baby had a £18,000 savings account! What on earth was insensitive when the couple thorough endorsed it?"
"Aww that’s lovely from ant and dec opening a savers account for that couple’s son a grand every year until the baby’s 18 years old there be £18,000 by then," a second wrote.
A final resolved: "What the heck is wrong with people moaning about the baby prank scan on Ant and Dec Saturday night takeaway.
"Just swap channels instead of moaning? I couldn't stop laughing."
LADbible has contacted Ant and Dec and ITV for comment.
Topics: Ant and Dec, Parenting, Social Media, TV and Film, Twitter, ITV
Poppy Bilderbeck