Ant and Dec pull podcast promo after mental health backlash

Ant and Dec have issued an apology over a Belta Box podcast promo after viewers criticised a short video used to advertise their new show, saying the opening shot could be upsetting for people affected by suicide and self-harm.

The clip, posted on Friday and removed over the weekend, began with a close-up of feet hanging above the ground before cutting to the presenting duo strung up on a washing line, a visual pun on the title Hanging Out With Ant & Dec. In a statement on Saturday, they said: “We did not mean to cause any offence with this promo video and we are sorry if it upset anyone,” adding that they had “taken on board comments” and deleted it.

The backlash was swift, with some viewers describing the imagery as “triggering” and “in poor taste”. Katie Waissel, a former X Factor contestant and mental health advocate, said the opening shot was “triggering, insensitive and frankly reckless to push out as ‘entertainment’”, arguing that the “suicide imagery is impossible to ignore”.

A new podcast, and a lesson in tone

The podcast itself, due to launch on Thursday 22nd January, is positioned as a relaxed series in which the pair reflect on their week and respond to questions and comments from listeners. It sits within Belta Box, their new digital entertainment brand, which is hosting the podcast alongside archive clips and new short-form content across platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

For public figures with audiences of this size, the episode is a reminder that a concept designed as a joke can land differently once it leaves the editing suite. It is also a sign of how quickly online audiences now police tone, particularly around mental health.

If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, support is available here.

What happens next

Ant and Dec have not suggested the podcast launch will change, and the deleted promo has not reappeared. The Belta Box podcast promo has, however, already become part of the show’s early story, prompting questions about judgement, responsibility and whether entertainment brands are adapting fast enough to the sensitivities of the audiences they serve.

In an attention economy, the hardest thing to judge is often not what will be noticed, but what will be remembered.

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[Image Credit | Getty Images]

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