Saturday Night Takeaway riled some of its viewers at the weekend as the show opened with a coronavirus-themed gag – and a full studio audience – despite the COVID-19 crisis.
But as matters have taken a drastic turn over the last 48 hours as far as the global pandemic is concerned, the jokes seem to have stopped for hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – the latter seen on a stroll alone on Tuesday looking particularly pensive.
It’s thought Takeaway will be the next in a string of TV shows that axe a live studio audience – despite this particular show depending heavily on the atmosphere on set.
Pensive: Declan Donnelly spoke on the phone during a solo stroll on Tuesday… as Saturday Night Takeaway is thought to go ahead this weekend WITHOUT a live audience thanks to COVID-19
While it’s yet to be officially announced (MailOnline have approached ITV for comment) a TV news account on Twitter has posted: ‘UPDATE: It’s been confirmed that #SaturdayNightTakeaway and #TheVoiceUK will continue to air WITHOUT a studio audience for the next 3 weeks.
‘The Voice this weekend has already been recorded, but for the 2 live finals it’s still unknown if even the coaches will be present. #COVID19.’
Dec, 44, was seen chatting seriously on the phone as he took his walk – thought to be heading to a meeting at his office. Co-host Ant was not with him.
Dec looked casual in jeans and a black sweater, covered by an open jacket.
Not so funny now, is it? Saturday Night Takeaway riled some of its viewers at the weekend as the show opened with a coronavirus-themed gag – and a full studio audience – despite the COVID-19 crisis
Crisis talks: Matters have taken a drastic turn over the last 48 hours as far as the global pandemic is concerned, the jokes seem to have stopped for hosts Ant and Dec
What’s the plan? Dec was seen on a stroll alone on Tuesday looking particularly pensive
Changes? It’s thought Takeaway will be the next in a string of TV shows that axe a live studio audience – despite this particular show depending heavily on it
While it’s yet to be officially announced a TV news account on Twitter has posted: ‘UPDATE: It’s been confirmed that #SaturdayNightTakeaway and #TheVoiceUK will continue to air WITHOUT a studio audience for the next 3 weeks
The tweet went on: ‘The Voice this weekend has already been recorded, but for the 2 live finals it’s still unknown if even the coaches will be present. #COVID19’
He wore trainers and shades, carrying a backpack over his shoulders.
Shows such as The Jeremy Vine Show, Loose Women and Celebrity Juice have all halted having studio audiences in attendance for the time being.
The coronavirus gag scenes on Takeaway at the weekend left some viewers furious, as the comedy duo were joined by a 200-strong live studio audience in the London Television Centre for the night’s episode.
Ant also jokingly asked for some hand sanitiser before walking down the studio stairs to greet co-host Dec with a foot tap and an elbow bump to laughs from the crowd.
Conference call? Dec, 44, was seen chatting seriously on the phone as he took his walk – thought to be heading to a meeting at his office
No show: Co-host Ant was not with him. Dec wore trainers and shades, carrying a backpack over his shoulders
Chit chat: Dec was deep in conversation on the phone call
Awkward: The presenters kicked off Saturday Night Takeaway by making light of the coronavirus outbreak
Taking a more serious tone, the pair then addressed the cancellation of the series’ finale episode in Disneyworld, Florida.
Ant said: ‘I’m sure like us you’ve all been following the news, and in the current climate nothing is more important than people’s health.
‘Absolutely,’ added Dec. ‘And because of this we unfortunately won’t be able to bring you the final show of the series from Florida.’
No touching: Ant also jokingly asked for some hand sanitiser before walking down the studio stairs to greet co-host Dec with a foot tap and an elbow bump to laughs from the crowd
But Ant then continued: ‘However Virgin Holidays and Disneyworld have kindly said that everybody who has won a place on the plane will be heading to Florida at a future date.
They added that there would also be more places to give away throughout the show.
And in the week’s Win The Ads challenge, where contestant Tara Brennan lost out on several top prizes trying to win the audience’s prize, Ant and Dec presented her with toilet roll as a consolation prize.
Not empty handed: Win The Ads contestant Tara took home the infamous Saturday Night Takeaway toilet roll, with dozens of viewers joking it is now the ‘most valuable prize’
Amazing: Tara was lifted off her feet by the audience and paper confetti fell down from the ceiling
But viewers were left less than amused that ITV had allowed a studio audience for the show, given several concerts and footballing events have been cancelled completely over fears of spreading the virus.
One viewer commented: ‘I feel deeply uncomfortable seeing all those people so close together in an enclosed space.’
Another added: ‘Why is Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway with a live audience allowed to happen?’
Others however have praised the pair for carrying on with the show, to give some much-needed light relief amid an overnight doubling of the death toll from COVID0-19.
‘I’ve never needed @itvtakeaway more. Need an hour of humour & light hearted entertainment with my fav boys @antanddec after this week,’ said one viewer.
Another added: ‘Feel like Saturday Night Takeaway is exactly what we all need tonight.’
Some also revealed their jealousy at not being able to compete on the show’s Win the Ads challenge, claiming that even the consolation prize of toilet roll would be a win amid panic buying wiping loo paper from shelves.
Ant and Dec confirmed this week’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway will be ‘business as usual’ despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Star line up: This week’s episode includes showbiz legend Joanna Lumley as guest announcer, with the End of the Show Show being performed by JLS
Mind the gap: Ant and Dec are seen speaking to the boyband as they are left delayed on the London Underground to the venue because the show’s budget ‘was blown on dancers’
This week’s lineup included showbiz legend Joanna Lumley as guest announcer, with the End of the Show Show being performed by JLS.
In a jokey video link clip, Ant and Dec were seen speaking to the boyband as they were left delayed on the London Underground to the venue because the show’s budget ‘was blown on dancers’.
But Joanna Lumley then butted in saying she can take over if they don’t make it, reviving her own act, Joanna Lumley Saxophonist.
Elsewhere in the show, Ant and Dec played a hidden camera prank on children where they disguised themselves as pandas at London Zoo.
They then challenged the amazed boys and girls to feed them bananas and sausage rolls from the zookeeper’s lunch box, with a large ‘Do not feed the pandas’ sign next to it.
‘Can I at least have a bit of the banana,’ asks Ant’s panda to one of the children, who brilliantly replies ‘I’m not falling for that trick.’
Surprise! Elsewhere in the show, Ant and Dec played a hidden camera prank on children where they disguised themselves as pandas at London Zoo
Busted: ‘Can I at least have a bit of the banana,’ asks Ant’s panda to one of the children, who brilliantly replies ‘I’m not falling for that trick’
Stephen Mulhern made a surprise appearance at the offices of B&Q, where he challenged a group of employees to Win A Day Off Work.
The staff played several rounds of team work and skill based tasks, with the eventual winner getting to call in a golden telephone to win the week away.
And pop group JLS arrived at Wood Lane station in Shepherd’s Bush just in time to meet Ant and Dec, who passed them their microphones to perform a medley of hits including Beat Again, Everybody In Love and She Makes Me Wanna as they danced into the studio.
Please stand back: Pop group JLS arrived at Wood Lane station in Shepherd’s Bush just in time to meet Ant and Dec
Finale: They performed a medley of hits including Beat Again, Everybody In Love and She Makes Me Wanna as they danced into the studio
Throw your hands up! The boys wowed the crowd with the medley
See you soon? Dec thanked the night’s guests before adding ‘we will hopefully be back with you next week’
Closing out the show, Dec thanked the night’s guests before adding ‘we will hopefully be back with you next week,’ as it is yet to be confirmed if the show will continue amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The presenting duo took to Twitter earlier to reveal they were en route to the studio to present the week’s episode, as ITV confirmed that the show would have a smaller live audience despite concerns.
It came after ITV also confirmed that the show’s finale trip to Disneyworld in Florida next month had also been cancelled, after the park confirmed that it would be closing until the end of the month to try and prevent the virus from spreading.
Posting to their joint Twitter account, Dec penned: ‘On our way in to prepare your #SaturdayNightTakeaway for tonight.
It’s all happening! The duo tweeted that they would still be presenting the live show, as ITV also confirmed that the show would be going ahead with a live audience
‘We’re business as usual and will be for as long as we are able and allowed. We’ll do our best to bring you a few smiles. See you on the telly! D.’
ITV confirmed on Saturday that the live show would still feature a 200-strong audience, amid claims in Variety that an in-house ITV memo sent to staff stated that network bosses were ‘assessing all productions.’
Saturday Night Takeaway relies heavily on audience participation, with many of its attendees visiting the show after relatives or friends have been in touch asking to get involved.
Sad: On Friday ITV also confirmed that the Saturday Night Takeaway’s finale trip to Disney World in Florida had also been cancelled, with prize winners expected to travel at a later date
The show is known for springing surprises on unsuspecting audience members, and one is always selected to appear in the show’s main game Win The Ads.
A spokesperson for ITV told MailOnline: ‘Our priority is the well-being and safety of all our people and everyone who works with us on our shows and across our business.
‘We are in a developing and dynamic situation so we’re complying with the guidance from Public Health England and the World Health Organisation to make sure we keep everyone as safe and secure as possible.
‘All of our audience handling agencies are sharing the updated advice from the NHS site with audiences prior to attending our shows and we continue to work them to update advice as and when it changes.’
Still going on: In a statement ITV confirmed the show would still feature its live audience and insisted the ‘well-being of all their people’ remained a priority
So far only Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine have announced they will cancel live audiences during filming due to the threat of the coronavirus.
Websites such as Applause Store and SRO Audiences are still actively taking bookings from the general public to attend the filming of major shows filmed for ITV and Channel 4.
However, SRO Audiences – who offers tickets to the likes of ITV’s Loose Women, Channel 4’s The Last Leg – are following a similar approach to the BBC and offer a warning to those attending.
Keep calm and carry on: Websites such as Applause Store and SRO Audiences are still actively taking bookings from the general public to attend the filming of major shows filmed for ITV
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We will no longer be broadcasting the Saturday Night Takeaway finale from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.Walt Disney World has made the decision to close, beginning on Monday 16 March until the end of the month.
‘The wellbeing of all our prize winners, as well as our production team, is always our number one priority.
‘All recipients of a ‘Place on the Plane’ prize will have their prizes honoured and flown by Virgin Holidays for a 5-night stay at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida at such later date when it is practical for Virgin Holidays and Walt Disney World Resort to fulfil the prize.’
The coronavirus has continued to spread across the UK in recent days with a total of 798 cases and 11 deaths as of Friday.
Along with cancellation of numerous big events and all football fixtures for the next three weeks, the government have hinted that there could be a ban on mass gatherings in the future.
The virus has also wreaked havoc with the UK’s travel plans, as numerous airlines cancelled flights to destinations throughout Europe, who themselves have placed restrictions on people entering the country.