Viewers of Saturday Night Takeaway were left feeling deceived after realising that a significant element of the beloved show… isn’t truly live.
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly gave viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how their ITV show works in a one-off special that aired on Easter Sunday.
The special episode covered the 10-month process of creating a new season of Takeaway, from scheduling star guests to planning amusing activities.
It’s a team effort with 200 crew members on hand to slot everything together, with all hands on deck from start to end to ensure everything works properly.
However, one section of the documentary left viewers perplexed, forcing them to reconsider all they thought they knew about the popular entertainment show.
Yes, the famed ‘end of the programme show’ isn’t live, as most fans assumed.
Every episode concludes with an entertainment act, sometimes a West End ensemble, sometimes a pop singer, with Ant and Dec getting part in the (usually raucous) performance.
Ant and Dec performed with Tom Grennan, who was ‘trapped’ inside his dressing room during the production of the first end of the show show of the 2023 series.
A custom set was created for the number, so the stars appeared to be moving around the room while remaining stationary.
When it was revealed that the performance had been pre-filmed, some people felt “cheated.”
Not only that, but owing to choreography and a large number of extras, it required numerous attempts to get it properly.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: ‘I thought The end of the show show was always live.’
The disclosures didn’t end there, as Behind The Screens revealed that Ant and Dec are aware of the Ant vs Dec challenges ahead of time.
Despite seeming shocked when Stephen Mulhern reveals the weekly head-to-head, the Geordie couple are completely aware of the games they’ll be facing, having participated in weeks of gruelling testing.
The documentary revealed the Britain’s Got Talent judges discussing the challenges with their crew, who tested out many variations of various jobs before approving a final plan.
Tweeting their thoughts, one viewer penned: ‘Thought Ant v Dec was kept secret and they did Not know anything about the Challenges And yet there they were actually PLANNING one of the Games, I actually feel Cheated’.
‘Aren’t we always told that the duo are kept in the dark for Ant vs Dec? Yet here they are helping plan the challenges’, another questioned.
‘Bit disappointing they know about the Ant v’s Dec challenges beforehand’, another wrote.
When one follower argued that ‘they never said otherwise’, the person responded: ‘Why do they make out they don’t know what’s coming up and it’s a big surprise?’
The plot thickens…
However, many viewers praised the documentary, applauding the crew for putting it together and expressing how ‘interesting’ it was to see what goes on off-air.
‘Just seeing it from the production point of view it’s really interesting’, one person tweeted.
‘Absolutely love watching behind the scenes of #SaturdayNightTakeaway @antanddec it’s literally the best show on TV @itvtakeaway and how much work goes into this show to make it the best show!! love it so much!!’, praised another.
Watch Saturday Night Takeaway: Behind The Screens on ITVX.
