Ant and Dec pull ‘triggering’ podcast promo after fans accuse them of being ‘insensitive’ to suicide – as Katie Waissel brands it ‘genuinely sickening’

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were forced to remove a social media post showing floating feet to tie in their new podcast after they were accused of being insensitive to suicide.

The television duo shared a video of them hanging down the line with the opening image (a shot of shoes and pant legs dangling from the floor) with their 5.9 million followers to boast about their new project, called Hang Out with Ant and Dec 2011.

They wrote at the beginning of the clip: ‘Our brand new podcast Hang Out With Ant and Dec launches on Thursday 22 January’, followed by a vintage microphone and starry-eyed emojis.

However, they upset and angered their followers, who insisted their clip was in “bad taste” and “triggering”.

The video was posted Friday evening but was removed at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Representatives of Ant and Dec, who are both 50 years old, He replied:’We didn’t mean to cause any inconvenience with this trailer and we apologize if it upset anyone. ‘We took the comments into account and deleted the video.’

The Geordie duo announced their new venture Hang Out With Ant and Dec on Friday.

Former The X Factor contestant Katie Waissel was among those to publicly condemn the video

But before the post was removed, the pair, who were outspoken about mental health as part of ITV’s 2021 Britain Speaks campaign, were criticized on the social media platform.

‘As someone who lost a close friend to suicide, I understand why this could be seen as triggering and insensitive,’ one user wrote.

Another said: ‘Who in their right mind would think shaking legs as the start of an advert is a good idea? It’s getting triggered.”

Mental health advocate and former The X Factor contestant Katie Waissel was among those to publicly condemn the video on the platform, describing the images as ‘entirely foreseeable harm’.

He wrote: ‘I’m going to speak out because this ‘creative direction’ is truly disgusting and deeply disappointing.

‘This opening image of feet suspended above the ground is not a harmless ‘pun’, it is instantly clear that someone is hanging and the images of suicide are impossible to ignore.

‘Whoever signed this up as a marketing concept either didn’t give it a second thought or didn’t care about its real-world impact.’

Waissel, 39, added that presenting on such a large platform, the duo had a ‘clear duty to act responsibly’.

‘When so many families have been devastated by suicide and self-harm, highlighting this as ‘fun’ is triggering, insensitive and frankly reckless,’ he added. ‘You can promote a show without normalizing images that can really upset people.’

They upset and angered their followers, who insisted their clip was “in bad taste” and “triggering”

Others echoed his concern.

“I was thinking this too; the cinematography shows someone hanging themselves without showing the rope,” one user wrote.

‘I’m not saying this was intentional, just saying this was a very ignorant instruction from people who should know much better.’

Another added: ‘I must admit that was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the feet shaking.’

Following the reactions, the clip was removed from all official social media channels. Neither Ant nor Dec have commented publicly.

Just weeks ago the pair secured their future at ITV with a £30 million deal that will see them remain the broadcaster’s golden boys.

The Geordie duo are two of the best-known faces on British television, fronting shows such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and their own game show Limitless Win.

The pair, who first rose to fame as lads in Byker Grove, will head up ITV’s presenting department until at least 2028.

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