Hosting the Royal Variety Performance this weekend, Alan Carr came in for mixed reviews from fans of the show but it was a comment at the royal couple that got viewers turning to Twitter to air their opinions.
Knowing that his hosting duties were being watched by Prince William and Kate Middleton from the Royal Box, the comedian couldn't help but send a cheeky jibe their way.
But it was this 'awkward' joke directed at the royal couple that divided viewers of the ITV show.
After saying how "absolutely beautiful" Kate looked, he went on to say to Prince William "Sir, I am sure you do not know who I am.
“But I am not hitting on your wife."
While Kate and William looked like they had been expecting some kind of remark and were filmed giggling with one another as Alan moved on, some viewers at home didn't find the 45-year-old host's comments as amusing.
One furious ITV viewer tweeted: "FFS! This is unbearable. How did Alan Carr get the job? What an unfunny, embarrassment he is. Even his parents are squirming. #RoyalVarietyPerformance.”
"This is so boring. Alan Carr really isn't that funny. Stop with the royal jokes," another complained.
"Who the f**k booked Alan Carr for #TheRoyalVarietyPerformance? His jokes are as old as Rod Stewart’s hair style," someone else quipped.
Meanwhile, a fourth tweeted: "I love Alan but this really isn't his gig."
But not everyone shared this opinion of the much-loved comedian's hosting skills of the show, which is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
One Twitter user wrote: “Not an Alan Carr fan, but he has made me smile tonight.#RoyalVarietyPerformance".
Another said: "Alan can do no wrong! What are all these rubbish tweets about? He's been great."
"Gosh! Nobody can do it better than Alan. Of course he was going to make a joke about the royals. Calm down everyone," someone else insisted.
Running for the 109th year, the Royal Variety Performance made a comeback for 2021 with a star-studded line-up including Ed Sheeran, James Blunt, and Anne Marie.
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