Ant and Dec have confirmed they were behind Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s odd outbursts on Monday’s This Morning.
The duo, both 45, revealed on Saturday Night Takeaway that they organised the hilarious show prank by asking fellow presenter Stephen Mulhern to hold up signs with words that Holly and Phillip had to say during the broadcast.
The bizarre segment earlier this week saw Holly share that she was ‘bursting for a wee’, before she and Phillip constantly chatted over chef James Martin as he attempted to present his cooking segment.
Funny: Ant and Dec have confirmed they were behind Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s odd outburst on Monday’s This Morning
But on Saturday Night Takeaway, viewers were showed how cameras followed Stephen as he snuck behind the scenes during filming to disrupt the show.
Stephen held up a series of white signs with various random phrases and tasks written on them that Holly and Phil had to try and incorporate into their scripts.
One of the tasks the pair had to complete was ‘pretending to have cramp’ which Phil then acted out, prompting Holly to say: ‘You have a cramp? Salt, I’ll walk it off and get some salt.’
Leaping from her chair on the socially-distanced set, she then wandered from one end of the studio to the kitchen, before saying: ‘I can’t find it! Can’t find the salt!’
Hilarious: The duo, both 45, revealed on Saturday Night Takeaway that they organised the hilarious show prank by asking fellow presenter Stephen Mulhern to hold up signs with words that Holly and Phillip had to say during the broadcast
Other phrases they had to include in their scripts were ‘don’t mug me off’, ‘flaps’ and ‘big bush’.
The instructions from Steve sparked chaos on set and viewers quite rightly took to Twitter in droves to share their view that their actions were all part of a ‘prank’ coordinated by Ant and Dec.
Stephen had also been behind the scenes of Lorraine, Good Morning Britain and Loose Women on Monday with his signs to cause even more chaos and had to chose which was the funniest show to win the ‘On Air Dares’ trophy.
On This Morning Holly bizarrely segued into a new segment as she said: ‘First of all, it’s competition time – which is great because I’m bursting for a wee!’, after Stephen instructed her to use the out-of-place phrase.
Sneaky: On Saturday Night Takeaway, viewers were showed how cameras followed Stephen as he snuck behind the scenes during filming to disrupt the show, including asking Phillip to pretend he had cramp on This Morning
Reaction: In response to Stephen’s card, Phil then acted out having cramp, prompting Holly to say: ‘You have a cramp? Salt, I’ll walk it off and get some salt.’
And as James, 48, later attempted to show viewers how to make choux buns, Phillip suddenly gushed to Holly: ‘I’m loving you today. You and me are best friends forever!’
Holly then suddenly bellowed: ‘I’m hungry!’ and while James’ patience appeared to wear thin, Phil asked Holly: ‘Have I still got bay leaf in my teeth?’
‘No, you would have been able to taste it,’ responded a nonchalant Holly.
Cheeky: On This Morning Holly bizarrely segued into a new segment as she said: ‘First of all, it’s competition time – which is great because I’m bursting for a wee!’, after Stephen instructed her to do so
Causing trouble: Other phrases they had to include were ‘don’t mug me off’, ‘flaps’ and ‘big bush’
As James began using a whisk, Holly then piped up: ‘I love the sound of that! It’s a bit beat boxy. Beat the eggs with a beat!’, in response to Stephen’s next sign which said she had to use the phrase ‘beat box’.
‘Oh, that’s a big whisk,’ she went on to exclaim, before adding: ‘I nearly said big bush, but I meant to say big whisk.’
As James added his choice of nuts to the recipe, Holly appeared eager to start a row as she said: ‘Can you choose other sorts of nuts? Don’t tell me what to do! I think I can put other things on it, like chocolate.’
Silly: Stephen also held up a sign during the This Morning broadcast that instructed Holly and Phil to ‘laugh uncontrollably’
As James put the finishing touches to his recipe, Holly remarked: ‘I’m a bit discombobulated, when you get confused with all the ingredients.’
And once she tasted the recipe, a usually composed Holly said: ‘It tastes better than it looks. It looks lovely, but it tastes really good, is what I mean.’
Tucking into the sweet treat, Holly told James ‘don’t mug me off’ as she chowed down, later saying that she would take the cake with her ‘in a bum bag’.
Awkward! Holly and Phil made things incredibly awkward for chef James Martin as he attempted to present a cooking segment, during which he showed viewers how to make choux buns
Masterminds: Speaking with Ant and Dec back in the studio Stephen (pictured) said: ‘Full respect to all the presenters because being live you’ve got to be very careful with what you say’
They then started complaining about a noise in the studio, with Phil saying: ‘It’s like a high-pitched noise. [We’ve] been taken off the air, probably.’
When Holly asked again about the ‘noise’, a visibly exasperated James responded: ‘I’ve got the director in my ear.’
Unperturbed, Holly admired the completed recipe as she said: ‘It’s amazing isn’t it? It’s like a chicken or a goat situation.’
After the chaotic duo came off air Stephen was seen creasing up with laughter as he exclaimed ‘that was phenomenal!’
Chaos: Elsewhere on Monday Stephen was also responsible for a series of strange outbursts on Lorraine during her interview with KSI
Holly then said: ‘They’re going to think we’ve gone mad’ as Phillip looked shell shocked and said: ‘Oh my God!’.
Speaking with Ant and Dec back in the studio Stephen said: ‘Full respect to all the presenters because being live you’ve got to be very careful with what you say and when somebody has now taken over your show it’s hard. But they were all game for it.’
Ant then asked: ‘How did you chose your winner though because everybody went for it?’
Mayhem: The TV presenter’s mind was elsewhere when a pesky fly, her troublesome leg cramp, a bout of yawning, and a mouse in the studio interrupted their live chat – all of which Stephen had instructed her to do
Behind-the-scenes: Stephen held up a sign on Lorraine saying that she had to swat an imaginary fly away
He responded saying: ‘So for every card they got correct they got a point and This Morning they only won by three points.’
Referring to Susannah Reid refusing to read out what was on some of the cards, Stephen added: ‘She was like a head teacher she was going nowhere near it!’
Elsewhere on Monday Stephen was also responsible for a series of strange outbursts on Lorraine during her interview with KSI.
‘Thank you for putting up with me,’ Lorraine, 61, told the YouTube star, 27, after a pesky fly, her troublesome leg cramp, a bout of yawning, and a mouse in the studio interrupted their live chat – all of which Stephen had instructed her to do.
Ouch! The Scottish presenter grimaced in pain as some severe leg cramp caused her to stop the interview and shuffle up and down to ease the affliction
From the moment the interview began, Lorraine’s mind appeared to be elsewhere, leading viewers to claim it was the ‘most random’ segment ever.
Midway through introducing the Down Like That musician, she waved her hands wildly in the air saying: ‘There’s a fly in here it’s really annoying, sorry.’
Unfazed by the insect intruder, KSI laughed off the interruption and waited to tell the host about his time on Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer.
As the gamer told Lorraine: ‘There’s a few ups and downs but it’s a very entertaining episode for sure,’ they were then distracted for a second time.
The Scottish presenter grimaced in pain as she spoke over KSI, saying: ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today but I’ve got a wee bit of cramp in my leg,
‘I wish that you were here so that you could help me. I’m just gonna walk it off if I walk it off a wee bit it’ll be fine.’
Lorraine then shuffled up and down on the spot in an attempt to ease the affliction as her interviewee giggled from his home in central London.
She continued: ‘Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t but it’s really annoying and it’s really poppycock… that’s what it is.’
And there’s more: Things were no less chaotic for Loose Women stars (L-R, top to bottom) Charlene White, Judi Love, Paris Fury and Jane Moore with their own series of odd outbursts after Stephen also visited their set
The presenter was clearly exhausted by the morning’s chaotic events as she then started yawning while KSI answered her questions.
To top off the bizarre interview, Lorraine exclaimed: ‘There’s a mouse! It just ran across here!’
Apologising to her understanding guest, she concluded: ‘Thank you for putting up with me, with flies, with mice, It’s been absolutely crazy!’
Lorraine continued with her streak of blunders when she accidentally called Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield ‘Holl and Philly’.
Fun: In the final 15 minutes of the lunchtime talk show, panellist Judi Love suddenly started screaming that there was a spider loose in the studio, prompting moderator Charlene White to assure her: ‘It’s not there!’ – after Stephen asked her to do it
Apologising for the unsolicited nickname she said to the This Morning presenters, Lorraine mused: ‘I’m sorry I called you Holl and Philly… It’s been a very strange day, all will be revealed.
Viewers were quite rightly quick to suspect the chaos may not have been accidental.
Fans took to Twitter to suggest the mishaps could be part of a prank for Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
‘Is Lorraine drunk?? Has she got a list of weird phrases to include?? This is the most random interview ever!!’ wrote one user.
‘Gotta be an ant and dec prank,’ another viewer guessed.
Interruption: Judi was seen leaping out of her seat as she complained about a rat in the studio
‘Something seems off with Lorraine this morning. Feel like we will see her on Saturday Night Takeaway when Ant and Dec are telling her what to say,’ theorised a second fan.
‘I reckon she is doing an Ant and Dec wind up, just too erratic and throwing in random words,’ concluded a third viewer.
The comedy duo are notorious for including pranks as part of their weekend programme.
And as speculation continued to to mount on Monday, a message from This Morning’s official Twitter account appeared to all but confirm suspicions.
Shutting it down: Bringing the unconventional hour to a close, Charlene announced, ‘I think we need to pull the cord and get out of here’ as her co-stars complained about a ‘bad smell’
The tweet read: ‘Things got strange during @jamesmartinchef’s cookery slot today! Take a look and see what you think… All will become clear this weekend!’
Stephen also caused chaos on Monday’s Loose Women.
In the final 15 minutes of the lunchtime talk show, panellist Judi Love suddenly started screaming that there was a spider loose in the studio, prompting moderator Charlene White to assure her: ‘It’s not there!’ – after Stephen asked her to do it.
Comedian Judi then proceeded to get out of her chair and walk around the studio mid-conversation, as Charlene reiterated that she shouldn’t worry.
However, the outbursts only ramped up from there, with Judi telling her co-hosts and the viewers at home: ‘I’m adjusting my wedgie, excuse me!’
Suspicious: Fans quite righty quickly took to Twitter on Monday after the chaosto suggest the mishaps could be part of a prank for Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
She then started randomly snorting while pregnant guest panellist Paris Fury, who appeared on the show remotely from her home, was talking.
Even while discussing serious topics, the one-liners flowed out, as Jane Moore said of smear tests: ‘You lie there and you think, ‘I’m really regretting that vindaloo now!”
Judi screamed once again about the rodent that was purportedly running loose in the studio, as she shouted: ‘I need to go! Where’s the producer?’
Confirmation: As speculation continued to to mount on Monday, a message from This Morning’s official Twitter account appeared to all but confirm suspicions that it was a prank
Jane later asked her co-hosts mid-chat: ‘Is it me, or does something stink in here?’
Never missing an opportunity to raise a laugh, Judi said: ‘It’s me, because… sorry.’
After Jane complained about having a cramp, suddenly walking around the studio to shake it off, Judi started yawning, blaming it on a ‘late night’.
When the panellists started discussing household chores, Judi oddly commented: ‘You have to do what you have to do to keep moist and not dry out.’
And as Paris spoke about her struggle to get her children to help with chores around the house, Judi started doing jumping jacks as she said: ‘You know what I do, if they get upset I do 1, 2, 3… You want everyone to canoodle together.’
As the show wrapped, Judi cut in to ask: ‘Whats that smell?’
‘Is it the same one I smelled earlier?’ Jane asked, as Charlene remarked: ‘It’s not a good one at all!’
‘All discombobulated today,’ said Jane, as Judi added: ‘The smell is absolutely bad, absolutely out of this world.’
Bringing the unconventional hour to a close, Charlene announced: ‘I think we need to pull the cord and get out of here!’
They’re having a laugh: Throughout the day, viewers tweeted their conclusions that the antics across all three shows were part of a coordinated on-air prank