UK news channel panned for playing ‘Emoji Movie’ during Queen’s funeral
Channel 5 #Channel5
This network’s decision prompted many frowny faces on social media.
Channel 5 sparked a major uproar online after controversially airing the “Emoji Movie,” and other animated children’s films, instead of the Queen’s funeral at London’s Westminster Abbey Monday morning.
Indeed, while BBC One, BBC Two and ITV aired the funeral live and Channel 4 showed a Queen documentary from 1953, the Paramount-owned station decided instead to show the 2017 sci-fi comedy cartoon, which is widely considered one of the worst animated films ever made, Express reported. It then followed it up by playing other animated flicks “Stuart Little” and “Ice Age 3,” Metro reported.
In doing so, Channel 5 became the only major British service not to broadcast any Queen-related coverage during the event.
Sorry why are all the channels about The Queen apart from channel 5 who saw it fitting to play the emoji movie
— Rae 🌙☁️ (@babieclownz) September 19, 2022 
Many online mourners took umbrage at Channel 5’s decision to air “The Emoji Movie” instead of The Queen’s funeral. ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Needless to say, many social media users took umbrage with the programming decision with one appalled Twitter user writing, “no way channel 5 are showing the emoji movie rn.”
“Sorry why are all the channels about The Queen apart from channel 5 who saw it fitting to play the emoji movie,” spluttered another.
“Indeed. Channel 5 really need to show some respect,” said one offended mourner of the royal Rick Roll.
King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort and other members of the Royal family follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried into Westminster Abbey ahead of her State Funeral, in London, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. AP 
Channel 5 was the only UK news service not to broadcast The Queen’s funeral. Twitter/Lucia Keskin 
Members of the public cry as they watch the State Funeral Service of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on a large screen in Hyde Park, London, on September 19, 2022. AFP via Getty Images
However, others deemed the programming move a refreshing interlude from the somber funeral coverage.
“Channel five playing the emoji movie whilst every other channel is playing the queens funeral is the best thing ever,” praised one cartoon fan on Twitter.
“Channel 5 showing the emoji movie during the queen’s funeral… not the heroes we wanted… but the heroes we deserve…” gushed another.
Follow the New York Post’s coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral:
Some Twitter wits even cracked wise about being touched by what they were seeing only to reveal that they were watching “The Emoji Movie” and not the Queen’s funeral.
“It is a bit of an emotional watch and there will never be anything quite like this again, it’s so unique and so culturally significant,” quipped one joker online. “Saying that, I do hope they make a sequel to the Emoji Movie.”