In a dramatic U-turn that has dominated headlines this week, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly — Britain’s best-loved TV duo — have been forced to apologise and delete a promotional video for their new podcast after it was branded ‘insensitive’, ‘triggering’ and even ‘sickening’ for evoking imagery linked to suicide.

The backlash erupted on Friday January 17, 2026, when the pair posted a light-hearted clip on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) teasing their upcoming show Hanging Out With Ant & Dec. The video showed the 50-year-old Geordie stars dangling upside down from a washing line in their garden, pegged up like laundry, with feet swinging in the air and quips flying.

Dec asks: “Did you agree to this?” Ant replies: “No, I thought this was your idea.” Dec adds: “This is not what we meant by hanging out,” before Ant pleads: “Can someone get us down please?”

What was meant as a playful pun on the podcast’s title — a fan-requested series where the lifelong friends simply ‘hang out’ and chat — quickly turned into a PR nightmare.

Within hours, social media users flooded the comments with outrage, accusing the promo of being tone-deaf and potentially harmful to anyone struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. The opening shot — focusing on pairs of feet suspended above the ground — was repeatedly called out as an unmistakable visual reference to hanging, one of the most common methods of suicide.

One furious viewer wrote: “Very poor taste that. That is intentional to grab attention. Ant and Dec already have a huge following, why ruin their own reputation to promote a podcast.”

Another said: “I knew immediately what the problem with this was before I even looked at the comments. What on earth?”

The criticism reached fever pitch when mental health advocate and former X Factor contestant Katie Waissel weighed in with a blistering statement that went viral.

“I’m going to be blunt because this ‘creative direction’ is genuinely sickening and deeply disappointing,” she posted. “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. Whoever signed this off as a marketing concept either didn’t think for a second about the real-world impact, or simply didn’t care.”

Waissel, who has been open about her own battles with mental health, added: “With such a large audience, the presenting duo had a clear duty to act responsibly.”

Her words struck a chord. Thousands shared her post, tagging Samaritans, mental health charities and the BBC/ITV execs behind Ant & Dec’s empire. Hashtags like #TriggerWarning and #Insensitivity trended briefly, with users demanding the clip’s immediate removal and questioning how such a promo slipped through approvals.

By Saturday morning January 18, the video had vanished from both Ant & Dec’s personal accounts and their new Belta Box brand page — the multi-platform entertainment hub (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) launching the podcast later this month.

A spokesperson for the duo issued a swift apology: “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.”

The statement, released to media outlets including The Sun, BBC and Sky News, was brief but unequivocal — a far cry from the playful tone of the original post.

Behind the scenes, sources say the backlash caught the team off guard. The promo was conceived as innocent fun: fans had repeatedly asked for a podcast where Ant & Dec could “just hang out” like old times, away from the polished chaos of Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.

Dec explained in a separate clip (pre-backlash): “We asked our audience if we did a podcast what would they like it to be about, and they said we just want you guys to hang out. So that’s what we’re doing! Ant & I don’t get to hang out as much as we used to, so it’s perfect for us.”

The series promises casual chats about their lives, listener questions, reactions to fan messages, and nostalgic clips from their 40-year career — from Byker Grove to prime-time dominance.

But good intentions collided with real-world sensitivity. Suicide remains a leading cause of death in the UK, with Samaritans handling millions of calls annually. Mental health charities have long urged media to avoid graphic or casual depictions of hanging, as they can be triggering for vulnerable people.

Critics argued the promo — even if unintentional — normalised or joked about a serious issue. “It’s not about intent; it’s about impact,” one mental health campaigner told us. “When you have 10+ million followers combined, a ‘funny’ visual pun can land very differently for someone in crisis.”

Ant McPartlin’s own history added another layer of scrutiny. The presenter has been open about his battles with alcohol addiction, rehab stints and mental health struggles — including a 2018 drink-drive incident that nearly ended his career. Fans and advocates felt the duo should have been more attuned to the potential harm.

“Ant knows pain,” one viewer commented. “He should know better than to risk triggering others.”

The incident has sparked wider debate about responsibility in entertainment marketing. In an era of heightened awareness around mental health — post-pandemic, post-celebrity disclosures — even light-hearted content faces intense scrutiny.

Some defended Ant & Dec: “It was obviously a washing line pun — people are reaching,” one fan posted. “They’ve done more for charity and awareness than most.”

Others called for better sensitivity training: “Big teams, big budgets — someone should’ve flagged this.”

As the dust settles, the podcast launch proceeds — now without the controversial teaser. Belta Box will roll out across platforms with fresh promos, focusing on the duo’s trademark banter, nostalgia and listener interaction.

Ant & Dec remain two of Britain’s most beloved presenters — their apologies accepted by many, though the episode serves as a stark reminder: even the most well-meaning joke can land painfully wrong.

In a statement echoed across media, they reiterated regret — and the hope that fans understand it was never their intention to cause pain.

For a duo whose career has been built on joy, laughter and family viewing, this week’s furore is a sobering chapter.

But knowing Ant & Dec, they’ll learn from it — and keep making us smile.

Just perhaps with a little more care next time.