Comedy
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Five times comedians totally fooled us
It's April Fools Day, so here are our favourite moments when comedians full embraced their mischievous streak.
Sadly this April Fool’s Day there are limited options to get out and prank one and other, which for the tricksters of society could be stifling. So to help alleviate those with a sense of mischief, we’re looking back at five times comedians well and truly fooled the general public.
When Titania McGrath was Andrew Doyle all along
Titania McGrath, the 24-year-old “radical intersectionalist poet committed to feminism, social justice and armed peaceful protest” appeared on Twitter as the ultimate Social Justice Warrior. Before long, the public cottoned on that it could be a parody of a far-left account, and eventually it was revealed to be Andrew Doyle (aka Jonathan Pie), embarking on his latest comedy character. Titania has since been brought to life courtesy of Doyle and Alice Marshall.
When Simon Brodkin attended a Conservative party conference
The master of pranks, Simon Brodkin (also known for his character Lee Nelson) has invaded the Pyramid Stage during Kanye West’s Glastonbury set, thrown money at Sepp Blatter, and given Donald Trump swastika covered golf balls. But the prank that truly fooled the UK was when he went to a Conservative party conference and interrupted Theresa May’s speech by giving her a P45 form. Prank or not, it seems to have worked.
When Jason Manford was the Hedgehog
The Masked Singer left the nation guessing for months who the twelve concealed contestants were, and coming in at second place was comedian Jason Manford. For those who are familiar with his West End credentials, this may not have been such a shock – but a lot of the general public were totally fooled, not least because he finished ahead of classical singer Katherine Jenkins.
When Sacha Baron Cohen pushed an old lady off a stage
Known for characters in Borat, Who Is America?, and Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen is no stranger to making a public display of mischief. But it was when accepting the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy that he fooled an entire Hollywood audience, after “accidentally” pushing off stage the elderly woman in a wheelchair that presented him with the award.
When The Impractical Jokers get together
Every day is April Fool’s for The Impractical Jokers. From botched best man speeches to eating off people’s plates in restaurants, there are endless ways in which the boys trick the general public. Whilst we’re not condoning behaviour like taking off your trousers in a supermarket or trying to hold a stranger’s hand (especially right now), streaming a few episodes on Netflix means you won’t be short of inspiration for April 1st next year.
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Have a browse of our dedicated Comedy guide right here.
