Thunder has stunned us all with his big reveal this morning and, it's sad to say, I'm now not sure there is really any point going on with life.

That big budget Universal Pictures reboot of the ocean-based classic seems destined to remain in the minds of us who dream.

Branding via April Fool's Day

As we near the end of our blog looking back on April Fool's Day submissions, there is a debate over the value of companies getting involved in the occasion rather than leaving it to the home, classroom or workplace.

Social media has clearly provided a global vehicle for the pranks but does it improve or hurt a companies image these days, given that it is now so commonplace? Does the answer to that question simply depend on the level of creativity involved? Feel free to comment in the section above.

Will Smith's April Fool

Actor Will Smith announced his decision to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) after assaulting Oscars presenter Chris Rock last Sunday.

Smith picked up the first Academy Award of his lengthy career last weekend but his achievement was overshadowed by the incident earlier in the evening, when he stormed the stage in response to a joke at the expense of his wife Jada.

Is it possible, as Peony suggests, that it was just a prank? No, he's surely not that daft!

If you were here at the beginning of our blog, you'll remember Martin Lewis' own April Fool about this feature.

Well, the bird itself decided to go down the same route later...

Pokemon GO flooded with Ditto for April Fools celebration

It's not quite a prank, but Pokemon GO embraced the chaos of April Fools Day by inundating the platform with swarms of Ditto, the shape-shifting generation one Pokemon. Ditto's unique characteristic means players had no idea which characters they spot in the wild will turn out to be Ditto and there were even some super rare shiny versions available to catch for the day. 

FIBA goes wild with April Fools rule changes

Many sports teams and organisations have got involved with April Folls Day this year, but few have been as committed to the gag as FIBA, the international governing body of world basketball. On 1 April FIBA's official Twitter acount posted "FIBA have announced a series of changes to the official rules of basketball that will take place with immediate effect."

What followed was a Twitter thread of rule changes, everything from the introduction of a red card to the use of a game of H-O-R-S-E to decide tied matches. 

Back to the future with retro camera?

Streaming accessories manufacturer Elgato announced that they would be introducing a new gadget called the Cam Link Retro, which promises to bring an old-school feel to your streaming platform. The Cam Link Retro supposedly allows vintage camcorders and old video cameras to be connected to computers to achieve that classic grainy, fuzzy picture quality that we all know and love. 

Of course it was just an April Fools gag, but in all honestly probably not the worst product pitch of 2022. 

Burger King 'accidentally' gives away free Whoppers

Following a technical issue, burger lovers are in for a treat as Burger King UK mistakenly issued thousands of free Whopper coupons to app users.  

Customers should check their Burger King app to see if they are one of the lucky ones who have benefited from the technical glitch.  

Burger King UK are working to fix the issue, saying it could take up to 24 hours, so customers have until midday tomorrow (Saturday 2 April) to claim their free Whopper.

Mistake or good April Fools' day prank? I'll take a burger!

Are you craving that meal you miss most from your travels?

It's your lucky day! Emirates has launched its all-new delivery service, Emireats.

Emireats is now delivering worldwide straight to your door, all without you having to jump on a plane.

We're hoping the service is as quick as their flights.

Great news for Microsoft and gaming fans

Big news in today as Glowstick Entertainment announce that they have been acquired by Microsoft.

It’s great news for fans as the deal allows their team to finally have the endless resources needed to push their games to the next level.

In a Tweet, they specified this means “That level being military FPS games.”

“See you all on the battlefield!” they added.

Aldi releases grocery store dating app

Honestly, not a terrible idea! Aldi released an app called Findr, which lets you swipe right on products in the grocery store and find your match via who likes the same foods as you.

It's hard to find peanutbutter lovers in Spain these days. Maybe my soulmate is living in this fake app...

A bidet-making company called Tushy released a fake ad for a dating show in which couples meet for the first time atop toilets and go...#2 in front of each other. Who said romance is dead?

Authentic food right from the source, delivered via EmirEats

You used to have to go to the restaurant if you wanted the food. These days, we have things like Uber Eats where someone drives the food right to you. But what if you really want that authentic Italian cuisine you had in Italy? Emirates took their April Fool's joke to the next level by introducing EmirEats, a global food delivery option via airplane.

Buffalo Bills release alternate uniform with...chicken wings?

Are these uniforms meant to be for playing football or for tailgating? Honestly, in the NFL...we've seen worse.

Prime Time Sports Talk did an entire NFL mock draft for April Fool's Day, complete with the Saints drafting an endless supply of crab legs in order to keep Jameis Winston.

The fun continues as the Chiefs draft a replacement family for Patrick Mahomes:

"Mahomes may have a contract worth half a billion dollars, but you got to feel bad for him after the Chiefs traded away Hill. His new No. 1 wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, will likely spend more time with Jackson Mahomes on TikTok than in the film room with Patrick. Furthermore, his wife is as much a pain in the ass as his brother. Between showering fans in champagne and then claiming to be the victim on social media, money is the only reason why Patrick isn’t in the sponge room with Ridley and coach Smith."

The Lakers fans' only remaining hopes...squashed with this one tweet

LeBron James had some people freakin' out, man!

Go touch some grass! ...without leaving the comment section

Ever get sucked in to circular, never-ending arguments in the comments section of social media? You may have recently seen someone tell another to "go touch some grass", meaning, "bruh, take a break from the internet and go outside".

So Hyper X, a company which makes gaming gear, has released a keyboard and mouse covered in grass, "Touch Grass Key Caps".

Here's what it says in the press release: "In your most intense matches, you can finally feel soft grass tickle your fingertips as you’re nailing those clip highlights. Premium options also include a grass scent to throw off anyone who can’t mind their own business. Embrace nature and 'Touch Grass' with HyperX on Earth Day 2022."

Royal Albert Hall launches first collection of NFTs

This is one of those brilliantly-written pieces that would fool exactly the person you want it to fool - the avid NFT defender.

If you just skim, this looks like a very legitimate news piece about the Royal Albert Hall, a prestigious performance hall in London, getting into the NFT game. But reading more carefully, the sarcasm is blatant.

"NFTs have proven controversial in some quarters, but the plain-spoken O’Follipar – who joined the Hall from digital currency firm BadCoin in 2018, said the naysayers were 'a bunch of luddites'. 'People think that NFTs are just hideous cartoons of apes that you don’t really own, but that’s only about 90 per cent of them,' he said."

I can't wait to see someone share this as a way to defend NFTs.

Among Us one-day only Horse Mode

In 2021, Among Us became one of the most popular app games. It's known for it's cute astronaut characters and last year, their Twitter account posted a photo of a horse version of the little dudes as a joke. But today, and today only, it became a reality. Until April 2, you can play Among Us on Horse Mode.

Steve-O directs a musical called Goat Simulator

It's Steve-O, so I'd say people are inclined to actually believe this weirdness.

Goat Simulator, the musical motion picture about a small town goat named Pilgor, announced it's open casting call today. Pilgor is just a regular farm goat, but he has big dreams...of becoming a musical movie star.

Introducing: Rylexa, the hot new voice for Amazon's Alexa

Rylan Clark, the TV host, teamed up with Amazon Alexa to pull this prank off. He announced on his Instagram that he would be the new voice for the device.

In the video, he says good morning to Alexa, and it replies to him in his own voice: "Good morning, gorgeous! It's Rylan." Many commenters will be disappointed to find out this one is a joke.

April Fools' Day: what is the origin of this day and why is it celebrated?

Where the heck did this silly day and its traditions come from, anyway?

Tom Daley knits Willy Warmers!

Olympic diver Tom Daley went viral on social media for knitting during the Olympics. On his knitting Instagram page today, he announced a new product: Willy Warmers.

The caption is the best part. Makes you really see the value in these, even if you're one of the willy-less amongst us. It has so many other uses, too!

So excited to launch the official #MadeWithLoveWillyWarmer. With fuel prices on the up, this’ll keep your (or a loved one’s) pecker perky and piping hot all year round. It’s also completely universal! Here’s five ways to wear your willy warmer, winter and beyond… As a naughty necklace As an extravagant earrings As a beautiful headband As a wondrous pouch or Christmas tree bauble Buy all five and you’ve got yourself a glove! I hope you love as much as I do

Have you ever wanted a Lego man you could take with you to the gym as your personal trainer? Or on road trips? Or to your weekend trips to outer space? Of course you have. We all have. That's why Lego is releasing a lifesize Lego figure!

Deliveroo bans pineapple on pizza

I can get on board with this! Fruit shouldn't be warm, and it most certainly shouldn't be on a tomato-ey, cheesy, Italian dream dish like 'za!

But this has been a divisive topic for years. Deliveroo decided to just stop the argument here and now, by banning the blasphemous topping on pizza altogether. But alas...April Fool's!

Short kings need love, too

The exclusive Jewish-only dating app is participating in the April Fool's fun. Lox Club is displaying all men's heights as 5'6" today because it's "what's on the inside that counts". The "April Fool's Mode" will be activated throughout the day, but the real height can still be seen by tapping on it.

Ryan Reynold to play goalkeeper for Wrexham

In addition to acting and co-owning the soccer club, Wrexham, the Hollywood actor is also ready and willing to step in and fill some big shoes for the Wrexham team where needed.

"I've only just started training for it but I can promise that when corners come in, I'll be punching the ball away harder than Will Smith smacked Chris Rock," said Reynolds.

I personally would love to see this!

I have officially found my calling

I mean, really, I meet every single requirement they ask for. Not that I don't LOVE being a journalist as AS, but come on...cats!

Oh....it's not real. :(

Mmmmm baked goods...in a can

Honestly, this could have fooled me. The popularity of seltzers mixed with the weird flavor craze that's overtaken the U.S. (pumpkin-flavored what now?), this doesn't seem so far-fetched.

Hello, forgot to mention - Jennifer here taking over the April Fools feed!

As a woman, I gotta say, I am actually a little disappointed this is a joke. Maybe if they added French fries and wine to the box, we'd have a marketable product here!

It's actually  a  move by the company to try and de-stigmatize menstruation and the assumption that it makes all women crazy and fiending for chocolate. A bit of an odd choice to do so, but I like the attitude.

Who HASN'T been a victim of the Duolingo owl is the better question!

This one is obviously a joke, but still one of the funniest ones I've seen so far.

The language-learning app Duolingo is well-known for harassing its victi...uh, I mean customers, into sticking to their daily practice. The messages can be...threatening.

In this PSA-style video, a personal injury lawyer warns that too many people have gone missing after not completing their Duolingo lessons, portraying their mascot, the owl, as an armed kidnapper. Okay, I say it's obviously a joke, but after thinking about it...those messages are pretty aggressive...

Britain started early with the jokes

This would've been more believable if they hadn't panned to the smiling cell phone filmer. I don't think Laura will be winning any Oscars, but based on the Twitter comments, looks like she still managed to fool quite a few sleepy Brits!

Australian Police to recruit elite animal task force

Queensland Police are reported to have hatched a collaboration with Australia Zoo to create an “elite new squad", by the name of Police Animals in the Wild comprised of koalas, parrots and other animals which will be deployed across the state. The PAWs squad will be capable of putting in 18-hours shifts, including night work and will “add more eyes, ears, wings and claws to help keep Queensland safe”.

UK snack food company Walkers announced that they have launched a new product - bread-shaped sandwich crisps, for those who are partial to a chip butty. The XL sandwich crisps come in cheese and onion flavour, and were being pushed with the slogan: "One small step for man, one giant crisp for mankind".

OK, thanks for joining me for this morning's April Fool's Day surveillance.

I'm now going to hand you over to my colleague Jennifer Bubel who will have his beady eye on what pranks people are playing.

No one will catch her out!

Truth is that I really do want to believe Paige but I have a nagging feeling that she may be trying to pull our collective leg. Where do you stand on it?

Peugeot Sport have come up with this banging design for a racing car.

Plenty followers were quick to spot their effort with most seemingly disappointed that this may not make it to the sales floor or the track.

McCartney on April Fool's

The 79-year old Beatle posted his own best wishes message to his 4.2 million followers.

In case you haven't spotted it yet... his jacket is not real!!

Tyson Fury's dad into politics

"Morning to all out there. News, I am running in the next election for the mayor of Manchester. 

"Because these politicians are absolutely useless and I think I can do a better job. 

"So keep listening, keep your eyes pealed and you'll see me very shortly, up there in the elections in 2024. 

"I'm sure I can do a better job than those so-called politicians of today. Thank you for listening, have a nice day."

Green Robins admit April Fool

The official account of Newtown AFC - one of Wales' oldest football clubs - went for the shirt colour switch prank for its fans. A quick tweet later advised them of the red continuity.

Non April Fool's stories

As this important post reminds us, not everything you read today is made up nonsense.

Sometimes it can be difficult to decipher though.

April 1st or middle of winter?

The morning has been filled with people commenting about the weather being a potential April Fool from Mother Nature.

Should it really be white outside on this day of mirth and naughtiness?

When it comes to April Fool's pranks

...you have to love this.

Out of interest, I actually preferred number 3, but each to their own.

Ramp it up for April Fools

I'm actually not sure if this was planned as an April Fool but I like to think it was.

Meme time | April Fools reminder

As well as actual pranks, I'll keep one eye open for some amusing memes doing the rounds and share them with you.

Here, a philisophical look at the year.

From the April Fool vaults

Remember when Donald Trump said stuff? Occasionally it fell on April 1st so he had an excuse.

...most of the time it didn't.

Google does April Fool's Day

A screen cleaner that works from the inside? A flower language decoder? A bad joke detector...

Watch this video collection and then be sad that they are not real.

The Onion in April Fool's truth telling

Anyone who knows The Onion will, like me, expect that all publications on this particular day to be the utter truth. I'm certainly going to live with that belief.

Wow! Check this out about aliens!!

“Think MySpace squared,” said the Hall’s chief executive, Craig O’Follipar. “We’re talking Yahoo! in five dimensions. Our ultimate goal is to build a framework of millennial policy hardware featuring synchronised matrix approaches, in collaboration with the world’s leading performers.

"We’ve already got two of G4 on board, and the other two are interested.”

The Royal Albert Hall announces today, April 1st, that it has launched its first collection of NFTs, as part of a project to diversify the venue’s offering in the wake of the pandemic.

New Frigate turns into ferry for Scottish islands

HMS Glasgow, currently being built on the Clyde, is to be used to ferry passengers between Scottish islands after a request from the Scottish Government due to delays with the ferries being built at Port Glasgow.

According to the Royal Navy here, HMS Glasgow is the first in a new generation of cutting-edge frigates called the City-class.

“HMS Glasgow’s flight deck will be able to accommodate helicopters up to the size of the RAF’s Chinooks, while her loading bay can quickly adapt to hold over 100 people per trip. The result? A frigate empowered to adapt to changing missions, from disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations to embarking military forces or supporting diving operations and in this case, ferrying people back and forward from the Isle of Skye.”

George Allison will surely catch out a few with this effort. Well played, sir.

Finally! That ability to edit your typos when rattling out a quick tweet has been a deep, deep desire of mine and many others for years. And as Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis reveals, the feature has... oh wait!

Damn you, Martin!! I've trusted you with my holiday insurance, bank debts and cheap nuts offers, and now you go and do this. I'm cancelling the #martinlewisforPM campaign. (Although I do like the use of A and F!)

Breaking hearts on April Fool's

Don't do this! I tried it one year, with 12 separate messages all being thrown back in my face with heartless contempt.

Oh yes, I retorted with a prepared 'Gotcha!' but did that stop me from crying myself to sleep until spring was over?

There will now be a short break in this live feed. I need a moment to regather myself...

Don't be put off by Evan's comment. We think you are super funny so crack on with your April Fool's fun.

Know your April Fool red line

Given what is happening in the world, some outlets and individuals may steer across the humour line of others.

The Guardian news team tend to be pretty good at knowing where this line is although have been questioned today for bringing anything to do with the Russia-Ukraine conflict into the field of prank play.

This old mouse prank is a classic, well, as classic as something can be since its invention in the 1960s.

To be honest, though, I'm thinking this may just be a handy self-made excuse from Dimitri, giving him a few hours extra in bed. Noted for next year!

OK, so my previous attempt to ignore politics on a day like today may have been futile.

I mean, when there are characters like UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson misleading us throughout the rest of the year, why should we ignore them today?

Politics and April Fool's

We could sit here all day and come up with gags about lawmakers from around the world, but we're going to try and keep politics out of this.

Unless Ben Elton shows up, of course. #oneforthekids

The Gareth Bale Bridge in Wales

"The Second Severn Crossing is to be renamed the Gareth Bale Bridge," says Wales Online on April 1st.

"The bridge," they continue, "which was renamed after the Prince of Wales in 2018, is to undergo a further name change in recognition of the footballer's contribution to Welsh sport."

Given the structural soundness of the Real Madrid man, would you drive your kids across that bridge?

OK, so expect to see a number of World Cup related pranks today given that the draw for Qatar 2022 takes place later.

It's certainly no joke that we'll be covering that draw live. These things are no laughing matter to your host Paul Reidy.

A dog signing for one of the biggest clubs in the world? That was the attempted April Fool from Manchester City.

Find out below how successful it was...

It's surely a little late in the day to be calling for media companies to stop their annual pranks. Hoards of self-confessed comedic geniuses have gathered round smoke-less meeting rooms with mineral waters all week pulling together their readership-teasing gems.

Come on, Stu! Join in.

A radio station tried to trick its listeners into believing that its well-loved morning program will end by April as part of the April Fool’s Day tradition. Monster RX93.1 on March 31 (yes, a day early!) announced that it is bidding goodbye to its show “The Morning Rush,” which has been on air for over 25 years.

This announcement was posted on its social media accounts.

“The end of an era (pleading emoji),” they said.

“We’ll be saying goodbye to #TheMorningRush for now, but don’t worry! You’ll still hear Chico, Hazel, and Markki on different Monster shows. (hug emoji) Stay tuned for our updated program schedule soon,” they added.

Nice one, guys! We now know you exist.

David Beckham has form in catching out goalkeepers from the halfway line but I'm not having his potentially sentimental nonsense about Denmark being a dark horse in Qatar.

Being fooled not for everyone

Of course, as per this post, some people would rather just avoid today's mirth altogether.

If that's you - although that's unlikely given that you found your way to this blog - then we'll see you in the morning.

Spotting pranksters in a crazy world

Jim Connolly makes a great point here.

If a world that has seen world leaders of the calibre of recent years in certain countries (no names being mentioned so as not to alienate myself to either side of the political divides!), who can we really tell the difference between fact and... utter nonsense?

Don't let it be you!

I should point out at this early stage that sometimes we too can be caught out in the reverse way, believing that an unlikely tale is an attempt to fool us when actually it turns out to be true.

We make little apology for bringing those to you today...

Real Madrid and Barcelona to launch professional cricket teams

Before we get this 2022 Fool's show on the road, allow me to remind you of a news story prank we brought you a few years ago.

It was all around the concept of the two Spanish football giants, Real Madrid and  Barcelona, setting up their own cricket teams. El Crícketo replacing El Clásico, we giggled at.

As well as it being such fun to write, we were also amused at how it created a serious conversation amongst fans and commentators at the time about it becoming a reality, even long after the joke had been revealed.

April Fool's Day 2022 | Welcome

Are you ready? Are your eyes wide open? Today is the day that in the US, UK and many other parts of the world, the first day of April is celebrated as April Fool's Day.

Later I'll explain to you the background and origin to the occasion, but in the meantime I'll be scanning the news outlets and beyond to bring you all the pranks being offered up...or at least those that I think are jokes!

Let's have a laugh...

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