There was an awkward moment on the latest episode of Saturday Night Takeaway as Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were joined in the studio by Alan Partridge. Steve Coogan 's comedy creation was the latest guest announcer on the family entertainment show.
And there were gasps in the studio as the chaotic character made a thinly-veiled joke about P&O Ferries. Broadcaster and TV presenter Alan was asked by Ant and Dec what he made of the gameshow segment Kiddeoke.
The game features children singing their favourite songs. And the presenting duo looked uncomfortable after Alan made a dig about P&O while saying he'd been warned not to 'break ITV guidelines.'
READ MORE:
"It was great," he told Ant and Dec.
But then he continued: "Although when I saw what you were paying those children I was appalled.
"I said 'they'd be better off working for that ferry company I wasn't allowed to mention because of ITV guidelines."
Last month P&O Ferries made 800 members of staff redundant with immediate effect via a Zoom call. Both Ant and Dec were left speechless by the gag and fans took to Twitter to have their say.
@EastieOaks tweeted: "Savage Partridge."
@newcombe23 said with a screengrab of Dec's stunned expression: "Don’t mention P&O."
And @TinyPurplePug wrote with an 'awkward' gif: "P&O boss watching Alan mentioning their company."
Fans voiced their delight at seeing Alan as a guest announcer while plugging his tour which comes to the AO Arena on Friday May 13 and Saturday May 14.
@elizabethruth90 said: "I’m already crying at Alan Partridge he will NEVER not be funny."
@WellSpokenBloke commented: "Alan Partridge quite possibly the best Star Announcer of all time.#SaturdayNightTakeaway."
@flossyd_caravan tweeted: "Oh my days it doesn’t get any better than this @antanddec AND #alanpartridge!"
And @markgregory27 said: "My wife thinks that Alan Partridge is real…. I’ve just had to tell her."
The fictional Knowing Me, Knowing You, The Day Today and I'm Alan Patridge star also made a jokey swipe at show regular Stephen Mulhern, saying: "Say what you like about him but his availability is second to none."
