Viewers joked that Paddington had taken “an unexpected turn” after its stars Ben Whishaw and Hugh Grant reunited to play lovers in A Very English Scandal.

Whishaw, 37, voiced the much-loved bear in 2014’s Paddington and last year’s sequel, in which Grant, 57, played narcissistic actor Phoenix Buchanan.

They have teamed up again for A Very English Scandal, which is set in the 1960s and follows former Liberal party leader Jeremy Thorpe’s (Grant’s) trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder Norman Scott (Whishaw), his ex-lover.

As it debuted on Sunday night, viewers admitted it was hard hearing Paddington’s voice, particularly during some of the more intimate scenes between the pair.

“I can’t watch Paddington being seduced by Phoenix Buchanan. I just can’t,” said one person on Twitter.

“Can’t help but watch #averyenglishscandal and think it’s just Paddington 2 that’s taken a very dark turn…” tweeted another person.

“You know what, they’ve taken Paddington 3 in a VERY bold new direction,” quipped another, while one person said: “He can’t do that to Paddington!”

One viewer joked: “Blimey, Paddington 3 is a real departure from the last one.”

Other people shared video clips and memes expressing their amusement.

Despite the Paddington puns, viewers were bowled over by Grant and Whishaw’s acting in the first episode of the series.

Some said Grant had been born to play Thorpe and many called for awards for both actors, declaring: “Hey Bafta, clear the decks.”

One impressed viewer tweeted: “Next years NTAs and BAFTA’s should just be given to the entire cast and crew of #AVeryEnglishScandal now.”

Another posted: “Hey BAFTA, clear the decks – #AVeryEnglishScandal is ON FIRE…..”

A Very English Scandal continues on Sunday on BBC One.