Saturday Night Takeaway Pranks

We constructed remote-controlled set pieces for Ant & Dec’s prank show, Saturday Night Takeaway.

For Amanda Holden’s segment, we rigged two metal shelves with concealed, retractable struts that caused them to collapse on cue via remote control. There was also a hidden trigger that toppled a unit completely over, smashing mugs and jars to shock the unwitting victim.

As part of the finale for Jamie Oliver’s prank, we also built a fake chandelier that fell after a dramatic display of electrical sparks and smoke effects. With foam rings painted like patinated metal and thin sheets of perspex cut to resemble glass, the chandelier looked realistically tactile, but caused no injuries when dropped onto the stuntman.