Ant And Dec Apologise Over 'Triggering' Podcast Promo Clip

Ant and Dec have issued a public apology after facing backlash over a social media post that some critics described as inadvertently “triggering”.

Last week, the Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celebrity hosts announced they were launching a new media platform Belta Box, which would include their new podcast Hanging Out with Ant and Dec.

To promote the new venture, the pair appeared in a promotional clip which showed their feet dangling in air, before the camera panned up to reveal them hanging on a washing line, in a nod to the title of their podcast.

However, shortly after the ad – which has now been pulled – went live, some took issue with the imagery, which was branded “insensitive” by some who felt the opening shot was reminiscent of suicide imagery.

Over the weekend, the duo said in a joint statement (as reported by BBC News): “We did not mean to cause any offence with this promo video and we are sorry if it upset anyone.”

Announcing his and Ant McPartlin’s new podcast last week, Declan Donnelly explained: “We asked our audience if we did a podcast what would they like it be about, and they said we just want you guys to hang out. So that’s what we’re doing!

“Ant and I don’t get to hang out as much as we used to, so it’s perfect for us.”

In addition to the regular audio podcast, full video episodes of Hanging Out With Ant And Dec will be available to watch on the Belta Box YouTube channel when it launches later this week.

Belta Box will also run across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and will be the home of “new digital formats” as well as clips of “classic And and Dec moments from some of their best-loved shows”.

Over the years, these shows have included the likes of SM:TV Live, Saturday Night Takeaway, the gameshow Limitless Win and the children’s drama Byker Grove, which Ant and Dec recently announced they would be rebooting for the BBC.