Viewers were left upset within minutes of Saturday Night Takeaway starting this weekend, with some calling it the 'saddest ever' episode in the show's history.
After the show's Florida finale was cancelled last week and Ant and Dec hinted coronavirus might halt Takeway, ITV revealed that the biggest course of action will be the fact the remaining shows in the new series will take place without an audience.
A statement from the channel read: "‘Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead this weekend without a studio audience. Our priority is safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved.
"The show will be made with a reduced production crew and in accordance with the latest guidance from Public Health England.
""The team are looking forward to bringing our viewers a brilliant show on Saturday evening."
But within seconds of the cameras rolling, the sight of an almost completely empty studio was too much for some Takeaway viewers to take.
One tweeted: "This is the saddest Saturday Night Takeaway ever," and another reacted: "Saturday night takeaway with no audience is making me so sad."
Ant and Dec made their way to the stage passed rows and rows of empty seats, with just a few crew members on the studio floor for company and another viewer commented: "Saturday Night Takeaway isn’t the same without an audience feels so weird but thank you @antanddec this is just what we need."
