Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway returned to TV screens on Saturday night has attracted Ofcom complaints.
Disappointed viewers have complained to the broadcasting regulator thanks to a prank involving a pregnant woman, her partner and a scan divided fans over the weekend.
Fans of the long-running series called out the show for being 'distasteful' on Saturday night, as hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly played a prank on a first-time dad by creating fake footage of the 4D scan of the baby.
Ofcom's latest report notes how 111 viewers have lodged complaints " related to the series of pranks played on a husband throughout his wife’s pregnancy."
During a visit to the hospital, a pregnant woman named Amy and her husband Liam were getting ready to have a glimpse of their baby.
An actress, posing as a sonographer, told Liam to speak to Amy's baby bump. He was shocked to witness his 'baby' wave back at him.
At one point, the fake sonographer told Liam to play peek-a-boo with his baby, and he happily gave it a go.
"It's not even his baby," the presenters told the camera as they watched the father look at the screen in awe.
Fans weren't amused with the prank, which Amy was in on, and took to Twitter to complain about the 'cruel' moment.
"Is it just me or does this feel in really bad taste, messing with a father's first time experience like this," one user said.
Another added: "Anyone else think this is actually quite cruel? This poor man thought this was his baby and it’s not!"
One unimpressed viewer commented: "This prank aint funny in the slightest he literally thinks thats his baby and the whole thing is fake? literally weird and cruel tbh."
"Surely this is a bit wrong?? poor man literally thinks it’s his baby," one person said.
Another commented: "This isn’t really very funny messing with a first time Dad’s scan experience."
ITV and presenters Ant and Dec are yet to respond to the backlash to the divisive prank.
