There Was No Virtual Audience At The BBMAs & The Awkward Silences Were REAL

Kelly Clarkson spearheaded the 2020 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and while she knows how to captivate an audience, the big wigs behind the show made the bold choice not to utilize a virtual one. While other awards shows during the coronavirus pandemic have relied on virtual audiences to liven things up (and been trolled for it), the BBMAs decided to keep things ultra real, and the audience at home realized virtual audiences aren't all that bad after all. Things were very strange without any reactions — live or virtual — to what was going on in the show, and Twitter eruptedin cringe over all of the awkward silences. These 20 tweets about the 2020 BBMAs' awkward silences show just how much an audience brings an award show to life.

Around 20 minutes into the show, it seemed Clarkson and the BBMA crew were pulling a prank on the fans at home when the American Idol alum debuted a laugh and clap machine that she had control over. Viewers then assumed the initial no-audience silence was just a bit and breathed a sigh of relief.

However, after Lil Nas X won the award for Top Hot 100 Song and his acceptance speech was followed by deafening silence, it was apparent that Clarkson's clap machine was just meant to be a joke and that the show had committed to having no virtual audience at all.

The tweets about the awkwardness of having no virtual audience flooded social media and they were hilariously on point. Check them out below.

Ahead of the BBMAs, it was confirmed that there would be no live audience amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But, now it's clear viewers at home still expected there to be some sort of virtual audience — or even a clap track — to help the night go on without too much awkward silence. Lesson learned.