April Fool's day has come around once more, and we've picked out some of the best jokes played this year.
Any innocent people, or those who have just lost track of the date, may have fallen for a gag or two from newspapers, companies and celebrities this morning.
Any pranksters only had until midday before having to come clean - or they become the fool.
No one quite knows for sure why there is a deadline, or of the day's origins, but it resembles ancient Roman festivals such as Hilaria, and the Holi celebration in India.
In more recent years, the day has also become a prime opportunity for companies and brands to play pranks and jokes on the unsuspecting public online as well.
Last year, Brits woke up to police on camelbacks, crocodiles on the beach, Rylan was teased as the new Amazon Alexa and Scots were left scrambling after one prank convinced kilt wearers that mandatory length checks would be introduced.
See below for the best pranks we spottted
KEY EVENT
A reality show that's lost in translation
And finally for our last - but certainly not least - April Fools post of the day, this Duolingo one is pretty genius.
The language-learning app launched its trailer for brand-new reality show Love Language. Rivalling the likes of Love Island and Married At First Sight, contestants are hosted at a villa in a paradise location to find love - with none of them speaking the same language.
This may be an April Fool's, but honestly I don't think this is a half-bad idea for a show.
You can catch the trailer here.
Susie Beever
Offal-smelling candle
This one isn't for the squeamish vegetarian...
ALDI pranked its Scottish customers with an announcement earlier today it would be bringing out a black pudding candle.
If you thought the pork pie one was bad, this candle will ensure any house guests won't be coming back again any time soon.
Susie Beever
Pizza Express' Easter egg
Pizza Express tried to pull the wool over our eyes with this one.
The restaurant chain chirped about getting a slice of the Easter market with its brand new pizza egg.
The chain's Fan CLub President 'Aprile Giorno' mused: "While the world has been distracted debating whether pineapple is an acceptable topping, the ingenious team at PizzaExpress have been reaching the next level with the Pizza Egg.
"They aren’t just reshaping the American Hot and Padana, they are reshaping the dining experience. We didn’t think pizzas could get any better, but they can and they’re egg shaped.”
— PizzaExpress (@PizzaExpress) April 1, 2023Move over chocolate, Easter just got a whole lot cheesier, crispier and more delicious.
Thanks to the latest dough technology we’re launching the world’s first… Pizza Egg.
Available now in two iconic flavours, the Padana and American Hot pic.twitter.com/4a8kw4Isvj
Susie Beever
Space travel? Co-op have you covered
The Co-op pretended to have added another string to their bow in the form of...space travel insurance.
According to the gag, anybody planning a commercial trip to the moon can now sort universal cover. The plans cover cancellations, meteor collisions, alien hijackings and even a plan for if you get lost in space - although by that point, we're pretty certain that insurance will be lightyears away from your list of priorities.
Susie Beever
Pork pie-scented candle
If you've ever wondered whether there's a way you can permeate your living room with the delicate aroma of a butcher's shop, look no further.
This gag from Bird's Bakery - a chain in the East Midlands - showcased a range of sensual home accessories scented like everybody's savoury treats.
From a pork pie candle to wax melts scented like beef paste, apparently. Bird's said it was also bringing out a sausage roll car air freshener.
“A lot of customers tell us how much they love the smell of freshly baked bread in our stores," a spokesperson said. "So we decided to expand that concept further and look at how we could take familiar Bird's aromas into people’s homes."
Susie Beever
Love-shaped spuds
Crisp fans saw their hopes raised and dashed after Walker's briefly introduced the notion of heart-shaped snacks.
The beloved crisp brand claimed it was engineering heart-shaped potatoes in order to produce the snacks.
Unfortunately, Valentine's Day was six weeks ago and we're not falling for any of it.
KEY EVENT
Previous April Fool's which spectacularly backfired
Whether you love or loathe the day, there have been some jokes which we all have to admit have made an impression.
Most have just had us chuckling, but some have made their mark for all the wrong reasons.
From a UFO scare that alarmed the Army to terribly inappropriate emails, read more about some of the jokes which have gotten out of hand over the years.
Susie Beever
'Check air levels in your air fryers', Currys warns
Air-fryer users were urged to check their 'air levels' due to a 'shortage in cartridges'.
A spokesperson for Curry's said: “Air fryers have become one of our most popular products with annual sales rising by 350% and searches for the device increasing eight-fold on our website over the last twelve months.
"But people still don’t know how to properly maintain their air fryers with nearly half of Brits admitting to never having changed an air cartridge before!
If you're one of the 95% of the British population using air fryers nowadays, don't worry about your 'cartridges' - they don't exist.
Susie Beever
Candy Crush enters its goth era
This is one we'd expect to see in the lead up to Halloween than springtime, but there we are.
Candy Crush joked it was going goth in a major makeover. King, the creator of the smartphone game, said it was embracing its dark side swapping out the bright colours for different shades of black.
KEY EVENT
Thorpe Park's Lost Souls pop-up store
Those who've ever visited a theme park may be familiar with the feeling of everything being a money-grabbing opportunity, but Thorpe Park claims to have taken it to the next level.
The theme park played us all earlier with its claims it was flogging off lost shoes from beneath its rollercoaster tracks.
If you've ever lost a flip flop to the Nemesis Inferno, you can be sure where it ended up.
Susie Beever
Blenheim Palace makes monster discovery dredging lake
Staff at Britain's most famous stately home admitted they were baffled after dredging its humongous lake.
Blenheim Palace workers claimed a recent dredge of its vast lake uncovered a 30-foot beast, which they've affectionately named 'Bessie'.
Thankfully, Bessie, it turns out, remains entirely fictional.
Susie Beever
Eat your crusts
And speaking of pizza being served differently, Domino's tempted us all with this proposal for crust-only pizza.
The takeaway chain offered up its new 'Just Crusts' portions which it said "was the best bit" anyway. In fairness, this isn't actually a terrible idea...!
— Domino's Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) April 1, 2023NEW
Let’s be real. Dunking your crusts is the best bit, so you just don’t need the rest…
Be the first to try Just Crusts exclusively on our app NOW! https://t.co/EdXiufp8Nw pic.twitter.com/yl0Uz9Dluh
Susie Beever
Pizzas by drone
New York Italian chain Frankie & Benny's didn't miss out on the opportunity to get involved in a prank.
The restaurant chain tried to fool us all by introducing the world's first drone delivery service dropping off its pizzas.
A spokeswoman for the restaurant said they were "looking forward to embracing the future of food delivery!”
Those with a good memory may remember the infamous Amazon April Fool's back in 2019, when the online retail giants announced plans to deliver parcels by blimp.
Katie Weston
IRN-BRU and Malibu launch 'Mali-BRU' for sun-craving Brits
Malibu joked that it has teamed up with Scotland’s other national drink, IRN-BRU, to create cans of Mali-BRU.
The drink companies teased the collaboration as the "tipple of choice for sun craving Brits whose imagination is longing for hotter climes".
Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at AG Barr said: “After a long, cold winter, we’re all in desperate need of some solar rays and summer vibes. So, right on cue, our partnership with Malibu allows us to give fans across the country some sunshine in a can.”
Leanne Banks, Marketing Director at Pernod Ricard UK, added: “Malibu has always been unashamedly proud to ‘Do Whatever Tastes Good’ and this phenomenal collaboration is no exception.
"We’ve had a lot of fun bringing these two iconic and much-loved brands together – sweet and smooth coconut perfectly blended with the steely fizz of IRN-BRU, the new Mali-BRU RTD tastes like it was always meant to be!”
Katie Weston
Bike hire company 'launches first ever e-unicycle subscription' for Londoners
A bike hire company pranked Londoners by "launching the world's first e-unicycle monthly subscription service".
Swapfiets said the unicycle could reach speeds of up to 15mph - and even featured a hub powered LED light.
Katarina Hlavata, UK Country Manager, was quoted saying: “We had an incredible year in London last year, introducing the Power 7 and Power 1 e-bike models into the UK market and gaining our B-Corp status, we wanted to keep that momentum of growth going.
“The ‘Solo Power 1’ is an exciting next step in encouraging more Londoners to get involved in the subscription model and start enjoying seeing the city in a completely new way; on one wheel!”
Katie Weston
Burger King 'launches Doritos Chilli Heatwave Chicken Fries'
Burger King teased customers that its chicken fries will now come coated in Chilli Heatwave tortilla chips.
The fast food chain said the "limited edition launch" would come as part of a collaboration with Doritos.
It wrote: "Burger King has revealed Doritos Chilli Heatwave Chicken Fries: a limited-edition launch that sees the nation’s most loved tortilla chip meet Burger King®’s fan favourite side.
"Taking a juicy chicken strip and coating it in crushed Doritos, with a dusting of the iconic and bold Chilli Heatwave flavour, this new combo will bring a taste sensation so epic, it’s hard to believe it’s real."
Katie Weston
Babybel goes square 'to be taken more seriously'
Babybel announced that its iconic round design would "be replaced with a new square version".
The company wrote: "After it came to light that the brand is deemed ‘too fun’, the decision has been made to change to a new, more ‘mature’ shape."
And a Bel UK spokesperson added: “When it comes to our cheese, we’re not messing around and think it’s time to cater for a more serious audience.
"Therefore, we have made the bold decision to announce we are making the biggest change to Babybel in our history to become square and are excited to be making even bigger changes this year.
"We think our new shape is on point and can’t wait to share with customers on Saturday 1st April."
Katie Weston
Scientists 'discover monkeys have started to type Shakespeare'
"Highly intelligent" capuchin monkeys delivered a passage of Shakespeare, reports BBC Wildlife.
University of Stratford researchers left a typewriter containing 26 letter keys plus 10 numerical digits in an enclosure at Oxford Zoo, it said.
After checking typed reels, they "discovered" the phrase “too b R n0t 2222 bee” - closely resembling Hamlet's famed soliloquy.
Daniel Bennett, editor of BBC Science Focus, is quoted saying: “The thing with probability is that, just because something is incredibly unlikely, it still has a very real chance of happening.
"We’ve all experienced the thrill of throwing a run of sixes when playing a board game, and this is the same thing, albeit scaled up drastically. Just because the odds are heavily stacked against something, people still put huge bets on it happening.”
Katie Weston
Tour operator offers lunar trips to the Moon
A tour operator is offering lunar trips to the Moon and back, meeting at the site of the UK's failed orbital space launch.
WeRoad says the "once-in-a-lifetime adventure" will include a tour of the "big 5" longest lunar craters, a hike through the highest point on the Moon and a "culinary experience like no other" featuring lunar-grown tomatoes.
The travel company says it will meet at Spaceport Cornwall, which is known for the Virgin Orbit launch earlier this year.
Justyna Chlopecka, UK Marketing Manager at WeRoad, said: "Who knows what the future holds? As technology continues to advance, we hope to one day offer trips to even further planets.
"The sky - or rather, the universe - is the limit!"
Katie Weston
20mph speed limit zones 'to be introduced on the M4'
New 20mph zones are set to be introduced along the M4 motorway, reports Wales Online.
It says the drastic move has been introduced "in a bid to reduce air pollution, accidents and confusion caused by Welsh language road signs".
Many drivers reacted angrily to the decision, said the paper, labelling it as "absolute madness".
But campaigners against bilingual road sings in Wales "cautiously welcomed the move, as it will give drivers from England more time to process confusing and, in their words 'dangerous' Welsh language place names."
Campaign for Road Awareness Problems (CRAP) driver Terry Nut was quoted saying: "It doesn't solve the issue but it gives driver more time to react. It won't save time, but it might save lives."
Katie Weston
Cream-first cream tea and top crimp pasties 'to become illegal'
The heathen 'Devon way' of serving a cream tea will be banned by the UK Government, reports Cornwall Live.
New legislation will also it illegal to crimp a pasty on the top, the paper adds, and ensure that all pasties sold in the UK "are semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve".
A Government spokesperson is quoted as saying: "The abolition of cream first and the top crimp will finally teach people in Devon a lesson for stealing the pasty and the cream tea from Cornwall in the first place."
And in a "unified and dignified" statement, six backing MPs said: "The ban on cream first will safeguard the Cornish economy and our historical practice of making pasties and serving scones the right way."
Katie Weston
Ant and Dec 'in talks to star in new Bond movie'
Ant and Dec say they are in talks - with each other - to join the cast of the next James Bond movie.
A press release from the comedy duo said: "Ant and Dec ahve confirmed they are in talks* to join the cast of the next instalment in the James Bond franchise.
Well this is quite something…! It’s a total dream to be in discussions about joining an iconic British franchise. pic.twitter.com/ATV4D6RJfz
— antanddec (@antanddec) April 1, 2023
"While the titular character's casting remains unconfirmed, the dapper Geordie duo are in negotitations* to join the cast as two new characters.
"Q will now have two sidekicks, A and D."
In a smaller font at the bottom, it adds: "*with each other".
Katie Weston
Royal Albert Hall 'reveals Churchill's secret wartime letters'
Taking a bolder approach, the Royal Albert Hall says that newly-unearthed documents "show Churchill wanted to use Hitler’s lost testicle as a propaganda tool during the Second World War".
It writes: "As the Battle of Britain raged, the British Prime Minister wrote to Ernest O’Follipar, then chief executive of the round London venue, asking whether it was true that – to paraphrase the famous wartime ditty – Hitler only had ‘one ball’ since ‘the other is in the Albert Hall’."
The concert hall then mocks-up a missive from Churchill, reading: "Ernie – keep hearing this rumour about the Chelsea Arts affair not being the only ball held at the Hall, much to Mr Hitler’s discomfort.
"Any truth in it? Worth more than a tank squadron to us if so."
It then quotes historians describing the memos as “revelatory”, “a major find” and “fairly interesting if they are genuine, which I doubt".
Katie Weston
McDonald's unveils the 'Big McNugget Boot'
McDonald's says it has launched the must have drop of the season - the 'Big McNugget Boot'.
The fast-food chain tweeted: "Unveiling the Big McNugget Boot, the most flavoursome shoe of SS23.
— McDonald's UK (@McDonaldsUK) April 1, 2023Calling all fashionistas
We’ve got the must have drop of the season.
Unveiling the Big McNugget Boot, the most flavoursome shoe of SS23. Releasing exclusively through the McDonald’s App this Monday. pic.twitter.com/1hjFuFZOfG
"Releasing exclusively through the McDonald’s App this Monday."
One social media user quipped in response: "Surely they’d be called nUGGS?"
Katie Weston
Dulux 'to replace its iconic Old English Sheepdog with a King Charles Spaniel'
Dulux says it has a royal announcement which is 'hound' to cause a stir... by "retiring its iconic Old English Sheepdog" after a 60-year reign.
The paint brand writes: "Fans must now wave goodbye to the beloved icon, and all rise to welcome the new face of the paint brand – a King Charles Spaniel."
The change-up is said to be in homage to King Charles' Coronation on May 6.
Karen Wilkinson, Marketing Director at Dulux, says: “We understand this might cause an upset amongst devoted fans of our beautiful sheepdog.
"However we think its high time she put her paws up for a little TLC – and what better time to take a step back than April Fool’s Day…?!”
Katie Weston
Matt Hancock to launch a new cheese brand - a 'cheese for the people'
A London advertising agency says it has been hired to launch Matt Hancock's very own cheddar cheese brand.
A mock-up of the dairy label, named Matt Hancock's Cheddar, features the politician's face and the strapline “Cheese for the people”.
Creative agency isobel says: "Mature, tangy and quintessentially British, Hancock’s eponymous dairy brand looks set to capitalise on the MP’s jungle notoriety, although whether the UK consumer is ready for Matt Hancock in their fridge remains to be seen."
When asked about the branding strategy and creative execution, an agency spokesperson said that one of Hancock’s primary aims for launching the brand was to "normalise politicians" and make them more "relatable".
They add: “Everyone loves cheese so why not create a cheese brand for the people?”
Katie Weston
Ed Sheeran 'to make West End debut in Spare musical'
A theatre website has kicked off April Fool's by penning a piece on Prince Harry's lookalike featuring in a new solo musical.
WhatsOnStage says the show will be based on the Duke's memoir, Spare, and quoted Sheeran as saying: "Ginger royalty man. It was the perfect fit."
The singer's understudy will be Rupert Grint, it added.
Numbers in the musical are said to include "The Cold Never Bothered My Todger Anyway", "The Dogbowl Song", "(Not) The Best Man", "I'll Make A Man Out Of You (Behind A Very Busy Pub)" and "Camilla's Lament".
It finished off the piece by writing: "There were unconfirmed rumours that Spare had originally been set to run at the Prince of Wales Theatre, but there seems to have been some sort of falling out, and the production was forced to relocate.
"Also like – Happy 1st April – come back at 11am for something else a bit special!"
William Walker
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'will launch a video game ahead of the Coronation'
Here's a decidedly unsubtle April Fool from one of our rivals taking aim at the Sussexes.
The Sun claims Harry and Meghan will launch their own video game ahead of the King’s Coronation.
According to the paper gamers can 'choose to play as either the Duke of Sussex or his wife, escaping Buckingham Palace and travelling the world by Rolls-Royce, private plane and even jet ski as they try to reach California.'
There will apparently be ostacles for players including 'rival royals and the media.'
The new game is imaginatively titled Harry & Meghan: Call of Dukey, and will apparently launch a week before the coronation.
The Sun goes on to say that royal insiders fear the launch timing is insenstive adding: “It won’t go down well at the Palace.
“There are fears it may harm sales of the official Coronation video game.”
William Walker
What were the biggest pranks of 2022 - a look back to last year's fake news
While we're on the lookout for the biggest pranks of 2023 we can look back to last year's April Fool's Day.
There were stunts that included Boris Johnson's resignation and a prank pulled live on air with Good Morning Britain.
Bizarre news on April 1 told of the Prime Minister's apparent then-resignation, crocodiles on the beach, the renaming of the Prince of Wales Bridge and a giant white horse statue dubbed "Angel of the South" in Kent.
Meanwhile Good Morning Britain pulled several jokes live on air.
Manchester City WFC were also tricked into announcing the club's first doggy sports player which they did with gusto before breaking out into laughter.
Forward Ellen White delivered her line earnestly "welcoming City's first ever canine sports player" and questioned whether to refer to it as a "person" or a "player".
"This is too much," she added before being convinced to deliver her final line "shake paws."
- Click here for last year's full round up
KEY EVENT
Best April Fool's Day 2023 pranks to play on your family - including frozen breakfast
You'd better have your wits about you on Saturday as it's April Fool's Day - which means it's time for some harmless fun.
An annual tradition for decades now, families, friends and co-workers can play harmless tricks on each other up until midday.
Some people may have been planning their April Fool's jokes for the entire year, but sometimes the best pranks are the simplest.
- Click here for our ten easy ideas for pranks you can play on your family at home.