In the middle of self-isolation and social distancing, last night saw Ant & Dec entertain a packed live audience for 'Saturday Night Takeaway' - yet cancel the season finale from Florida.
Granted, we're cribbing this metaphor from people talking about it on Twitter, but seeing a huge live audience on last night's 'Saturday Night Takeaway' in the middle of the worst global pandemic in modern history feels like the people with signs welcoming the aliens in 'Independence Day'.
Of course, people on Twitter watching all of this unfold were just as baffled by it as we were, not to mention the fact that the show opened with a joke about hand sanitisers, which again, is just very strange stuff altogether.
WTF are they doing having a full studio audience? The UK is in denial. #SaturdayNightTakeaway
— Philip Nolan (@philipnolan1) March 14, 2020
“What the F*** is going on?!!”
Everyone at home watching:#SaturdayNightTakeaway pic.twitter.com/uKpGR5gRlR— TGK (@TGK24020678) March 14, 2020
In a statement released to media shortly after last night's episode aired, ITV said that the finale from Florida has been cancelled due to health reasons. It also might have something to do with the fact that the flight ban to the US has now been extended to include the UK, too.
The statement read that "recipients of a 'Place on the Plane' prize will have their prizes honoured and flown by Virgin Holidays for a 5-night stay at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida at such later date when it is practical for Virgin Holidays and Walt Disney World Resort to fulfil the prize."
All that said, next week's show is apparently going ahead. So will it be another episode with a full, live studio audience? Who knows.