UK's Channel 5 aired 'The Emoji Movie' instead of the Queen's funeral

• UK network Channel 5 aired "The Emoji Movie" on Monday rather than coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
• The Queen died on September 8 after a 70-year reign.

All of the UK's major public-service networks aired coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday — minus one.

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 after a 70-year reign. But Channel 5, owned by Paramount Global, opted to air Sony's "The Emoji Movie" instead, according to Variety and reactions on social media.

UK-based journalist Scott Bryan also tweeted about it on Friday, saying: "Nearly every main British television channel will be airing The Queen's funeral on Monday. Apart from Channel 5 ... who are airing The Emoji Movie."

The decision sparked commotion on Twitter.

"No sign of Prince Louis, he's probably at the palace watching the Emoji Movie on Channel 5," said one Twitter user.

"Cant believe we are finally here, it's going to be such a tough watch," said another. "Good luck everyone getting through The Emoji Movie on Channel 5 this morning."

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"The Emoji Movie" is one of the most critically derided movies of the last five years, receiving a 6% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes when it was released in 2017.

"This movie's 'believe in yourself' message is borne out, in a perverse way, by the very fact that it even exists," critic Glenn Kenney wrote for The New York Times. "And yet the whole thing remains nakedly idiotic."