Trending Now: This entertainment story covers the latest buzz, reactions, and updates surrounding Trending Now: Ant and Dec spark huge backlash with ‘insensitive’ video – Fans React..
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have apologised after a promo clip for their new project sparked a huge backlash.
The comedy duo is preparing to launch their podcast, Hanging Out with Ant & Dec, but a teaser video they shared on Friday has since been removed.
In the clip, Ant and Dec are seen pegged to a clothesline in a garden but at the beginning, only their feet are seen dangling from the line while Dec asks his long-time co-star ‘did you agree to this?’
As Ant replies ‘no, I thought this was your idea’ the video cuts to his feet before zooming out to show the men pegged from their hoodies as Dec says: ‘This is not what we meant by “hanging out”.’
After the video was shared, it didn’t take long for people to question the visuals and say that it could be triggering or offensive.
Oh that’s not- pic.twitter.com/1TNJtJy1pW
— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) January 17, 2026
Former X Factor star Katie Waissel shared a lengthy comment about the clip, saying that the ‘creative direction’ is ‘genuinely sickening and deeply disappointing.’
She continued: ‘This opening visual of feet suspended above the ground is not a harmless ‘play on words’, it immediately reads as someone hanging, and the suicide imagery is impossible to ignore…
‘It’s triggering, insensitive, and frankly reckless to push out as ‘entertainment’ when so many families have been devastated by suicide and self-harm.’
Many people agreed with Katie, with some saying the marketing of the podcast was not ‘thought through’ and others questioning just how the idea was signed off.
Ant and Dec have since shared a statement about the uproar, telling Metro: ‘We did not mean to cause any offence with this promo video and we are sorry if it has upset anyone.
‘We have taken on board the comments and have deleted the video.’
Ant and Dec’s podcast is due to go live in just a few days, on January 22, and will see them chat about their lives and answer questions from their fans.
The podcast comes as part of the duo’s work on Belta Box, a channel that will show throwback clips from their shows, such as Byker Grove and Saturday Night Takeaway, as well as new entertainment.