From a savage courtside put-down to a Coldplay scandal that spiralled, the kiss cam has turned light-hearted fun into public humiliation.

What began as a playful crowd-pleaser now regularly exposes rows, secret relationships and painfully awkward mix-ups, often in front of thousands and millions more online.

In one viral clip, a woman shuts down her friend mid-rant at an NBA game, while elsewhere a HR boss and her married chief executive were caught cuddling on a giant screen.

But the cringe moments don't stop there. Siblings have been embarrassed, couples have rowed on camera and some fans have flat-out refused to play along.

Others try to laugh it off, with parents and children awkwardly caught in the spotlight and quick-thinking fans scrambling to save face.

And sometimes the fallout is instant. One man blurted 'that's not my wife', while another saw his partner whisked away by a mascot after ignoring her.

These are the awkward, hilarious and brutal kiss cam moments that prove you should always watch where you sit.

Savage shutdown

A basketball fan was left stunned when his female friend turned on him mid-rant during an Indiana Pacers game, snapping: 'That's you what the f*** are you talking about?'

The moment, captured during the Pacers' win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, shows the man appearing to criticise play before being abruptly shut down.

The clip quickly went viral, racking up more than 5million views, with viewers flooding the comments to praise the woman's 'savage' response and brutal timing.

Caught on camera

HR executive Kristin Cabot and her married chief executive Andy Byron were filmed cuddling on a giant jumbotron during a Coldplay concert in Boston, before suddenly realising they were being broadcast and scrambling to hide.

The pair were seen in an intimate embrace in VIP balcony seats, laughing and dancing together, before the camera zoomed in and exposed them to the entire stadium. 

As the reality hit, both appeared visibly shocked, quickly pulling apart and ducking out of sight.

The moment was made even more awkward when Coldplay frontman Chris Martin addressed the crowd, joking: 'Either they're having an affair or they're very shy,' drawing laughter as the pair tried to disappear.

Footage of the encounter spread rapidly online, fuelling intense speculation about their relationship, particularly as Byron was married and Cabot was head of HR at the company.

Cabot later broke her silence, insisting the incident was a 'one-time' alcohol-fuelled mistake and not an ongoing relationship, saying she had 'a couple of drinks' and 'acted inappropriately'.

She admitted she had developed a 'crush' on Byron and had been excited to introduce him to friends, but claimed the kiss seen on camera was the first and only time anything physical had happened between them.

The fallout was swift and severe, with Cabot revealing she lost her career over the incident and faced public backlash, including online abuse and threats, after the clip went viral worldwide.

Sibling shock

One man was left horrified when the kiss cam landed on him sitting next to his sister, prompting an immediate look of panic.

He was seen mouthing 'that's my sister' while she made a cutting gesture across her neck, both clearly desperate for the camera to move on.

The pair turned red before laughing it off as the camera eventually panned away, only to briefly return again and catch them still reacting.

Family fail

In another clip, a young woman recoiled in shock when the camera focused on her and the man beside her during a game.

Pointing straight at him, she shouted 'that's my dad' while signalling for the camera to cut, before the pair burst into fits of laughter.

The video racked up tens of thousands of likes online, with viewers joking it was a lesson in never sitting next to family when the kiss cam is around.

Sign save

With the camera already on them, a man at a Minnesota Gophers hockey game shows he came prepared, wasting no time as he unzips his pocket and pulls out a sign. 

The woman beside him shakes her head as if to say it is unnecessary, but he goes ahead anyway, flipping it up for the crowd to see. 

It reads 'she's my sister', saving what could have been an awkward moment and drawing laughs and cheers from those watching. 

A couple were caught in a tense moment when the man refused to get off his phone as the kiss cam zoomed in on them at a basketball game.

His partner tried to get his attention, nudging and slapping his arm, but the situation quickly turned into a visible argument in front of the crowd.

The awkward exchange was cut short when a mascot intervened, pouring a drink over the man before carrying the woman away to loud cheers.

Not my wife

One man sparked laughter and disbelief when he was caught on camera sitting next to a woman and immediately tried to distance himself.

Pointing to his wedding ring, he could be seen shouting 'that's not my wife' as the crowd reacted to the unfolding moment.

The woman beside him covered her face in embarrassment while those around them laughed at the painfully public clarification.

Awkward switch-up

Another clip shows a woman reacting hesitantly when the camera landed on her and the man sitting beside her.

She initially gave him an awkward side hug, before suddenly turning to kiss someone seated behind them instead.

The man next to her appeared visibly stunned as the crowd reacted, turning the moment into one of the most uncomfortable kiss cam clips to circulate online.