If you woke up to cellophane on the toilet seat or found a sign stuck to your back, you will already know that it is April Fool’s Day once again.
And as always, brands are getting in on the act, trying to trick people with an array of fake product launches.
The day takes place on 1 April every year, with this year’s edition falling on Friday, with one important rule: the pranking stops at midday (after that, any tricks make you the fool!).
Here’s a roundup of the best pranks so far.
Thorpe Park has said it has drained the water from its water ride because 80 per cent of its guests get stressed after ruining their hair
Ian Stagram, Operations Manager at THORPE PARK Resort says: “It is important we react and adapt following feedback from our guests, so our decision to replace Tidal Wave with AR ‘water’ was an easy one and allows us to launch the Resort into the latest layer of the digital age, by welcoming Augmented Reality.
“It can’t come at a better time, guests will be thrilled to hear we are introducing two brand new events for 2022 – Mardi Gras in May and Carnival in July, before the return of the heavily anticipated Oktoberfest and FRIGHT NIGHTS events in autumn. There will be endless opportunities for Insta-ops with our unmissable events this year!”
Former Tory Minister Rory Stewart said he was pleased to announce a new role.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is an honour to have been asked by the PM to serve as Director of Communications for No10 Downing Street.
It is an honour to have been asked by the PM to serve as Director of Communications for No10 Downing Street.
I am looking forward to working with the PM, Ministers and Members of Parliament on the issues that matter most to our country
“I am looking forward to working with the PM, Ministers and Members of Parliament on the issues that matter most to our country.”
Wales Online claimed that the Severn Crossing, which stretched across the River Severn between England and Wales, was to be renamed the Gareth Bale Bridge.
It is currently named after the Prince of Wales.
They claimed the UK Government said that “with Charles set to become King, the current signage will also be out of date before too long, so it is definitely time for a change”.
The Good Morning Britain team were discussing Channing Tatum’s new movie The Lost City when they moved onto the star’s past role as a stripper in Magic Mike.
They played the movie’s famous music and flashed their lights when claiming a special guest was about to appear.
Of course, no one did, but the did manage to full co-host Kate Garraway.
Past Evangelists announced a new Italian-British delicacy – Sunday Roast Spaghetti.
he dish is available to pre-order from Friday 1st April, for delivery between Monday 4th April – Sunday 10th April.
Deliveroo announced it has made the decision to ban all orders of pineapple on pizza.
You wouldn't juice a ham ✖️
You wouldn't zest a lasagne✖️
⚠️ ???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ⚠️
From today, pineapple on pizza is ???????????????????????? on Deliveroo. You're welcome, earth. ???????? pic.twitter.com/ULZM8FUqt2
Italian restaurant partners Pizza Express, Bella Italia and Pizza Pilgrims have backed the move.
James & Thom Elliot, Founders of Pizza Pilgrims said, “Putting pineapple on Neapolitan pizza is basically considered a crime in Naples. Most of our pizza chefs are from Naples and safe to say they are not fans! We fully support Deliveroo’s decision to ban pineapple on pizza and make a stand for proper pizza!
The Mirror claimed that the mud from the Marble Arch Mound was to be used to rebuild Hadrian’s Wall.
It said the move was part of the Government’s Levelling Up scheme in the North.
According to the paper a minister had said: “Hadrian’s Wall has been incomplete for too long and, frankly, is an eyesore whereas the mound has lit up the London skies.”
St Austell Brewery announced a very suspicious partnership.
It said on social media: “We’ve teamed up with our friends at Rodda’s Cornish Clotted Cream to bring you our latest limited-edition beer.
“Introducing Cream First (4.1% abv), a true Cornish collaboration, hitting our pubs this weekend.
“Paying homage to the iconic Cornish cream tea, Cream First is a clotted cream and strawberry pale ale, brewed with local malt, 100 tubs of glorious Rodda’s clotted cream, alongside over a ton of Cornish strawberries – all painstakingly hand-squished by our brewers to create a smooth, sessionable ale – perfect for spring.
“Available now for a limited time in select pubs. Don’t miss out on trying a pint (or two) of our new, Cornish cream tea brew.”
Ant and Dec announced the launch of their own Crypto Currency, Toon Coin.
They said in a statement: “We actually started developing Toon Coin back in the early 90s as a way of simplifying PJ and Duncan gig ticket sales,” Ant explains.
Big news! ???? We have joined the crypto revolution and launched Toon Coin ⬛️⬜️ ???? This project has been in the works for a while having started it all the way back in the early 90s! Huge thanks to Safri Pollo for making it possible. Link for more infohttps://t.co/FhtoqFheaO pic.twitter.com/VmdqqAR2nV
“We were on the brink of something back then, but it had to take a back seat when we released our Psyche album.”
It’s not commonly known, but Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto was actually a Boom operator on Byker Grove, back in the day!” Ant reveals.
“Ant and I often discussed Toon Coin during breaks from filming…” Dec adds. “And eighteen years later, Bitcoin appears… Coincidence?!”
Martin Lewis has been Tweeting about serious issues lately, but he took a break from his regular style to make a joke.
So pleased Twitter has finally added an edit feature. It is going to make life so much easier.
If you haven't read about it – within a minute of tweeting, just highlight a tweet and then hold down the SHIFT key at the same time as A and F.
He claimed Twitter had set up an edit function, advising people to highlight what they want to edit, press shift and A and F.
If only…
Lego announced their latest product for April Fools.
They claimed you can now make your own life size Lego figure
Something big is coming. And we mean really, really BIG! pic.twitter.com/eOyxfyYna7
The Lego Maxifigure would be the ultimate “road trip buddy” or even “temporary work colleague”.
The company said: “Something big is coming. And we mean really, really BIG!”
Tango is launching three brand new flavours, including Fizz and Chips, Carbonated Chicken & Citrus Gravy.
Ray Patterson, Brand Director at Tango commented: “We’ve seen a huge amount of our customers enjoy a cheeky Tango with their takeaway, and a survey we conducted shows 58% of 18-34 year olds regularly pair food with soft drinks to enhance flavour.
“So, we thought why not offer it all in one can, and marry together our classic Tango taste, with three firm takeaway favourites. We hope Tango fans will enjoy all their fast food favourites in delicious Tango-y liquid form”.
Coventry City Centre announced the launch of the UK’s best Naked Rooftop Bar.
Adam & Eve’s would be a brand new hospitality experience for he city, which is celebrating the end of its City of Culture Year.
One of the most famous April Fools’ Day jokes of all time was broadcast on the BBC current affairs show Panorama in 1957.
It showed footage of a Swiss family “harvesting spaghetti from a spaghetti tree”, convincing thousands of Brits that this is where spaghetti really came from.
The BBC had further success in 1965, when it pretended to trial “Smell-O-Vision”, telling viewers it was pumping smells into their living rooms via their TVs. Many people contacted the BBC to say it had worked, despite it being a hoax.
In 1980 Boston television station WNAC-TV aired a fake news bulletin at the end of the six o’clock news, which reported that Great Blue Hill in Milton, Massachusetts was erupting.
The prank resulted in widespread panic, with some Milton residents fleeing their homes. The show’s executive producer, Homer Cilley, was fired by the station for “his failure to exercise good news judgment”.
More recently, Taco Bell has managed to convince people that it purchased the Liberty Bell, and in 2016 Pornhub changed its name to Cornhub, and displayed suggestive videos featuring corn.
Google is well known for engaging in April Fools’ Day pranks, and has done one every year since 2000 – with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when it cancelled its joke due to the Covid pandemic, instead urging employees to contribute to relief efforts.
Highlights include redirecting every video on the homepage of YouTube to a performance of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” in 2008, and the ability to capture Pokémon in Google Maps in 2014 – a concept which led to the birth of Pokémon Go.
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