Australian TV show The Loop has the most cringeworthy NYE countdown you have to see

Before we put 2016 completely behind us, you need to watch this video of the most awkward New Year countdown in the world, courtesy of an Aussie TV show.

The clip posted on YouTube shows a group of "competition winners" taking the stage on Eleven's music program The Loop - only not one looked as though they wanted to be there.

"This is one of the biggest competitions in Australia!" enthuses presenter Scott "Scotty" Tweedie in the video, trying to inject some excitement into proceedings.

The bored-looking crowd can barely be bothered to join Scotty and co-host Olivia Phyland as they count down from 10, missing a couple of numbers for good measure.

The "fans", who include a middle-aged man waving pom-poms, let off a few party poppers and shuffle offstage, one girl chucking the empty plastic at the presenters.

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Olivia whoops and embraces the man with the pom-poms as the group traipse off camera.

The most underwhelming NYE countdown of all time. Photo / The Loop Facebook

"Ripper!" says Scotty. "Fantastic."

It's probably fair to say it wasn't.

Asked on Twitter if the fans were for real, he replied: "They all won! haha ... t- the countdown! very lucky people."

they all won! Haha

— Scott Tweedie (@Scott_Tweedie) January 2, 2017

they won the biggest prize of 2016 - the countdown! Very lucky people

— Scott Tweedie (@Scott_Tweedie) January 2, 2017

The host added: "Security escorted the lady who threw her popper at liv out of the building immediately."

Comments on YouTube, where the video has already racked up more than 100,000 views, observed that the clip was "better than Mariah Carey" and that Eleven should "pay them next time."

Katie Preston wrote on The Loop's Facebook page: "Those guests looked like hostages."

Staged or not, this is great TV.