Ant and Dec viewers were left cringing after a staged blunder saw them celebrate the birthday of singer Anne-Marie on the incorrect day.
The set-piece on ITV show Saturday Night Takeaway saw presenter Rob Brydon introduce the singer by announcing: “It’s Anne-Marie’s birthday!”
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly looked surprised and spent the entirety of Anne-Marie’s performance – a song called “Birthday” – getting the audience to sign a card for her.
After handing the card and a giant cake to the singer, she told the hosts that her birthday is actually on 7 April prompting the hosts to rip up the card and throw the cake on the floor, much to the singer’s shock.
The moment led to many viewers expressing their embarrassment on social media, despite the fact the entertaining moment was clearly staged.
“Anne-Marie’s reaction when Dec ripped up the card and ant threw the cake was priceless,” one viewer wrote.
Another viewer praised the moment as “the best end of the show sketch I’ve ever seen”.
Elsewhere on the show, the hosts mocked the complaints generated by Pussycat Dolls’ “racy” performance on last week’s episode.
Brydon quipped to Ant and Dec at the start of the show: “I do have one request. I saw the Pussycat Dolls on last week’s show – if you think I’m going to dress in a leather corset…”
