Alan Carr and Amanda Holden are shrugging off reports about their hosting stint at this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
Over the weekend, the pair were seen co-presenting the entertainment event together for the first time, three years after the comic fronted it solo.
However, after the broadcast, numerous outlets picked up on some negative comments on social media, with headlines claiming that Amanda and Alan had been “blasted” and met with a “brutal backlash” for their Royal Variety stint.
In response, the Britain’s Got Talent judge hit back on Instagram, writing: “I know we should ignore. But it seems the same headlines literally word for word appear EVERY year… for whoever hosts [the Royal Variety Performance].”
Amanda pointed out that Bradley Walsh “got the stick last year”, and accompanied her post with screenshots of past headlines slating the Royal Variety Performance’s host, including one tabloid claiming the pair had done a “terrible” job this year.
“[It’s] so sad as it’s an honour to host this wonderful CHARITY event,” she continued. “This journalism is unspirited and awful to wake up to after such a joyous and successful evening. Me and [Alan] loved every second. All the big shows get battered.”
She added: “Merry Christmas you lovely lot. Our ratings were brilliant so that’s what counts.”
Alan then wrote in the comments: “Amanda! You were brilliant and looked stunning – I loved every minute of being on that stage with you.
“The tabloids cherry picked some spiteful unhinged tweets three years ago when I hosted it!!! It was like they’d seen a different show. Predictably mean-spirited sadly.
“Look, we felt the love and laughter in that room and someone not very well on Twitter can never take that away from us! Positive vibes only for Christmas.”
Amanda and Alan became an official double act last year when they began fronting their own travel series, Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job, with a follow-up set in Spain expected to air in the New Year.
They were also reunited on the most recent series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, on which Amanda appeared as a guest judge.
