ITV has been hit with several Ofcom complaints after Saturday Night Takeaway kicked off its latest season with a bang which saw hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly transform into drag queens.
The Geordie duo were joined by a live audience for the first time in almost two years as their drag alter-egos shimmied across the stage.
Ant, 46, made the stunning transformation into Lady Antoinette to give a “mind-blowing” performance on the show.
Joined by co-host Dec, 46, who became Miss Donna Lee, the pair were unrecognisable in huge wigs, fake tan and masses of make-up.
Some viewers even said that Ant McPartlin's drag alter-ego reminded them of ex-Little Mix singe Jesy Nelson.
However, a number of viewers were unimpressed with the performance and registered an official complaint with broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
Of the total 71 complaints made during the Saturday Night Live show, 59 were in relation to the jaw-dropping drag routine.
Meanwhile, a handful of complaints were made over the protest prank played on the inimitable Jeremy Clarkson, 61, at his Oxfordshire farm.
ITV viewers lodged eight complaints over the segment, which saw Jeremy arriving at his farm as 'protesters' chanted: “No more toil, keep your soil” while holding signs.
“He looks very unimpressed,” Ant said while disguised as a protester.
Another woman said to Jeremy: “Hi, my name is Laura, I'm one of the…” before Jeremy cut her off.
The Top Gear star said in a deadpan tone: “The thing about soil is that you can't hurt it.”
Dec, disguised in a bad wig, taunted the star by saying: "Maybe you should phone a friend" with a megaphone.
From a secret room, Ant tells another actor to handcuff themselves to Jeremy's car.
Dec said Jeremy had been on their Saturday Night Takeaway “hit list” for at least a decade, but they could never figure out how to get him on the show.
He said on This Morning : “We always thought we’d never get him, but we got an in: his lovely girlfriend Lisa.
“We got her and she said yeah, I’ll help you do it. She said come down to the farm and we’ll set him up.”
The Grand Tour presenter has been with former model girlfriend Lisa Hogan, 48, for five years now and the pair star in the hit Amazon show Clarkson's Farm.
Ant weighed in, saying: “Honestly, he’s got a temper, as we all know, so we were very nervous about it.”
