Ant and Dec's Saturday Night takeaway: ITV and Anne-Marie apologise for flag sketch

ITV has apologised after Ant and Dec's Saturday night takeaway showed the presenter pair wearing a symbol which is offensive to a lot of people.

Ant and Dec were wearing outfits with a Japanese rising sun flag during a performance by singer Anne-Marie.

The channel said sorry "for any offence caused" which it said "was clearly unintended". It also said it would be re-editing the section so the symbol wouldn't be seen when people re-watch the episode online.

Brit-award-nominated singer Anne-Marie also said sorry on social media.

"I want you to know that I had nothing to do with the costumes on this sketch," she said.

"Unfortunately education on this part of the history wasn't done and I am also hurt by the pain this signifies for so many people."

What is the Rising Sun flag and why is it offensive?

The national flag of Japan is a red circle on a white background and should not be confused with the rising sun flag which is offensive to a lot of people.

The "Rising Sun" flag is a sunburst with 16 rays.

During the 19th Century, the rising sun symbol became the flag of the military. It was used when Japan occupied Korea and part of China.

During World War Two, it became the flag of the navy. Japanese troops occupied much of Asia during the war and were known for their brutality against local people and for killing hundreds of thousands of people.

Today, it's still the flag of the country's navy, but is also often used by far-right groups.

South Korea wants the rising sun flag banned at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.