Ant and Dec were forced to apologise to a member of the crew during their appearance on The One Show last night (May 5).
The presenting pair appeared alongside hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating to chat about their new Prince’s Trust initiative.
However, a slip of the tongue from Ant McPartlin during a segment that saw them asked questions from viewers resulted in an on-air apology.
What happened with Ant and Dec on The One Show?
A viewer emailed in to ask what the presenters would do in media, film or telly if they weren’t presenters.
After Dec explained that they have a production company so they “produce shows as well”, Ant made a bit of a gaffe.
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“I always fancied being a cameraman – is it as good as it looks?” he asked, looking at the camera crew.
“He’s having the time of his life over there,” Declan Donnelly quipped. “I’ve always wanted to be a director who tells the cameramen what to do.”
“Oh here we go,” said Ant.
“That’s more me. You be the cameraman and I’ll be the director,” said Dec.
Sorry, sorry Hayley, camera operator, sorry, my bad.
A couple of viewer questions later, host Alex Jones stepped in and exposed Ant’s gaffe.
“We have to point out we have Hayley here, a camerawoman,” she said.
Appearing embarrassed, Ant said: “Sorry, sorry Hayley, camera operator, sorry, my bad.”
However, Dec had his pal’s back.
“But you’d be a cameraman,” he said.
“I’ve always quite fancied being a camera man.”
“I’d be a director, who tells the camera men what to do.”@antanddec answer some of your questions 😅Catch up on @BBCiPlayer 👉 https://t.co/9kvtjChTJ5#TheOneShow pic.twitter.com/GFzGxOeyPG
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) May 5, 2021
What did viewers say about the apology?
Far from appeasing any offended viewers, the apology seemed to have the opposite effect on social media.
Viewers said there was no need to correct Ant, because – as a man – he was speaking about a job he would like to do.
They added that the show’s “pathological wokeness” was “nauseating”.
“Apparently he should have said ‘camera operator’,” said one viewer.
Read more: Declan Donnelly’s home targeted by burgers as family slept upstairs
Another added: “God forbid we forget the ‘camerawoman’, who probably couldn’t care less about being offended. Yep. Dec would love to be a camera woman too.”
A third said: “I’m done. Watching The One Show just now and Ant says he would like to be a cameraman if he wasn’t in front of the camera.
“Laughs all round then the woke [bleep] have to apologise to Hayley the CAMERAWOMAN. Stop the world I’m getting off,” they added.
Another commented: “#TheOneShow there was no need to correct #Ant saying he’d like to be a cameraman.
“He wasn’t talking about generic jobs, he was answering a question about what he’d like to do. He’s a man. So he would be a cameraMAN.
“You’re pathological wokeness is [bleep]ing nauseating.”
‘It seems only men can operate cameras!’
However, others appeared to welcome the apology, led by female anchor Alex.
Ahead of Ant saying sorry, one viewer tweeted: “Disappointing that it seems only men can operate cameras!
“I know it’s an old term and easily flows but surely someone should have corrected it.”
Pointing to the Prince’s Trust initiative they’re launching to get young people into media, the viewer added: “Especially when you are trying to attract young people, you should be encouraging them all.”
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