ITV comedy Kate & Koji’s second season came back with a third instalment last night.
However, viewers were annoyed just minutes into the show due to the laughter from the audience – which they thought was recorded.
Vera star Brenda Blethyn has been gracing the screens as café owner Kate Abbott since 2020, alongside Okorie Chukwu as her sidekick Koji.
The latter had to replace Jimmy Akingbola, gone to star in Peacock’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot.
Since the second series of the show began, viewers have been very outspoken about what they see on-screen.
During last night’s trip to the coastal resort of Seagate, asylum seeker doctor Koji was faced with racist behaviour and Kate quickly shut it down – while accidentally threatening the culprits with a gun from World War Two.
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But Kate & Koji viewers were annoyed minutes after the episode began.
Most quickly complained about the “canned laughter” on Twitter and put the sitcom on blast, while others allegedly went a step further and switched off their screens because they couldn’t enjoy the comedy.
“I am watching a sitcom called Kate and Koji. It is dreadful enough but it has the worst canned laughter I’ve heard since the seventies”, one social media user commented.
Another penned: “Kate & Koji is the absolute televisual representation of bad GCSE drama. Horrific and excruciating piece of TV.”
A third viewer already struggled to keep up with the programme during its previous instalment.
“I’ve managed to endure 12 minutes of Kate & Koji, that’s double what I managed last week before I turned it off. Not much of an achievement as you might think it is as this week the remote had slipped down the back of the sofa.”
This isn’t the first time some viewers have raged against the audience laughter in Kate & Koji.
Just last week, one fuming Twitter user was at their wit’s end for that same reason: “The Sitcom Kate & Koji … I’m trying really .. trying to get it… but the canned laughter ruins it.”
Another held no punches back: “Kate & Koji is really c**p. Just not funny. Even the pathetic canned laughter sounds bored.”
Despite the outrage, viewers may be surprised that a live audience was actually present during filming as ITV bosses have previously confirmed.
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The audience was present in the studio after production had to delay filming for season two due to the Covid pandemic.
Kate & Koji airs Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV.