TV duo Ant and Dec have explained why they don't socially distance on Saturday Night Takeaway.
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly came in for some criticism on social media from fans watching the show who were wondering why they were were not two metres apart in the first of the new series. The Mirror reported that viewers took to social media to voice their concern as the rest of the country continues to be told to keep their distance from other households.
In practice they follow the same kind of steps that have allowed other TV shows to return to our screens even in a pandemic. But that wasn't clear to some members of the audience.
However, the former Byker Grove stars have previously explained their lack of social distancing on screen and told This Morning in September that they take steps to make sure they're Covid-compliant.
Ant told the breakfast show’s presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that the much-loved pair get tested every four days.
Dec jokingly added: "We're like premiership footballers... that's where the similarity ends. We get tested down the throat and up the nose. Basically our households are connected and we form a cohort."
The duo explained themselves again to Alex Jones on BBC’s The One Show after the host feared a backlash from viewers because of the pair’s closeness.
Unfortunately, last night’s social distancing confusion wasn’t the only issue as Ant and Dec’s hit show got back underway for another series. Viewers also complained about the background noise coming from the virtual audience.
Some went as far as saying it was “unwatchable” and “distracting”, with others saying they had to turn the show off. Coronavirus restrictions mean the presenters can’t be joined by a studio audience. Instead, the show had over 300 people join the virtual audience from the comfort of their own homes.
Gary Barlow, Olly Alexander, Jamie and Harry Redknapp were among the star-studded line up for the show’s return.
