April 1 is a day for people to get their mischief on and no one has a better chance of tricking more people than a celebrity.
Armed with piles of cash and plenty of eyes watching, the rich and famous with a hankering for pranks are among those who go the extra mile on April Fools’ Day every year.
From playing jokes on each other, to faking new bizarre projects, many celebrities have taken the opportunity to get involved.
Over the years several famous faces have successfully duped the public with their hoaxes, while others have simply succeeded in making their fans laugh.
MailOnline has taken a look at some of the most memorable April Fools pranks, from alien spaceships to hilarious Netflix documentaries.
+41
Some of the best April Fools are when celebrities trick each other, and one of the more memorable was when James Corden unveiled a fake statue of David Beckham in 2019
David Beckham’s fake statue
Some of the best April Fools are when celebrities trick each other, and one of the more memorable was when James Corden unveiled a fake statue of David Beckham in 2019 on The Late Late Show.
The former footballer, 48, was less than impressed as he branded the sculpture ’embarrassing’ and ordered the filming crew to ‘stop the cameras’.
Host James, 45, couldn’t contain his laughter as he watched the sportsman’s fury from the sidelines, before revealing the prank to a relieved David.
LA Galaxy had honoured David with a glittering statue, but James switched out the real one with ‘a less flattering’ piece just weeks ahead of the unveiling.
With a film crew documenting his journey to a private unveiling, David gushed: ‘It’s a special moment that I’ll be able to share with friends and family.’
But on arrival, the father-of-four quickly grew irritated when a fan, played by an actor, referred to him as Dave, and purposely miscalled his former footballer team Manchester United for Manchester City.
Displaying his annoyance, David hit back: ‘It’s Manchester United…my mum’s the only person who calls me Dave. You’re an interesting character!’
LA Galaxy president and former teammate Chris Klein, who James revealed is ‘someone David trusts’, was also in on the prank, as he showed David a clip of his worst games instead of his career highlights, causing the athlete to shake his head in disappointment.
Imitating real sculptor Omri Amrany, comedian Maz Jobrani walked on set to showcase the fake statue, which featured an unflattering chin, three teeth and massive posterior region.
Visibly enraged, David shouted: ‘This is different than what it was when I last saw it in Chicago. When we spoke, there was — I mean look at my chin!
‘It doesn’t look like me though, look at my eyes. The only thing that’s good is the hair. Look at my bum, it definitely doesn’t look like that!’
He asked his close pal Chris: ‘Are you happy with this, what do you think? I really don’t see how this can go out!’
David went on to question the actor: ‘How can you change this in a short amount of time? My parents and wife are coming over. Look how long my arms are, I look like stretch Armstrong!’
Growing more and more furious by the second, the footballer ordered his film crew to stop recording.
He continued to complain: ‘My wife is coming over, we’re lucky my kids aren’t coming to the ceremony. If my kids were to see this, they would just cry.
‘I don’t want to offend you in any way, but its a big thing for me. That’s embarrassing’, David explained before attempting to leave the studio.
Turning up the shock factor, a bulldozer later crashed the sculpture, causing David to joke: ‘That’s probably done me a favour!’
Finally ending the prank, the star giggled when comedian James walked on set as he said: ‘Thank God for that!’
+41
During an appearance on The Late Late Show former footballer, 48, was less than impressed as he branded the sculpture ’embarrassing’ and ordered the filming crew to ‘stop the cameras’
+41
Host James, 45, couldn’t contain his laughter as he watched the sportsman’s fury from the sidelines, before revealing the prank to a relieved David
+41
LA Galaxy had honoured David with a glittering statue, but James switched out the real one with ‘a less flattering’ piece just weeks ahead of the unveiling
+41
Imitating real sculptor Omri Amrany, comedian Maz Jobrani walked on set to showcase the fake statue, which featured an unflattering chin, three teeth and massive posterior region
Tom Daley releases line of willy warmers
In 2022, Tom Daley marked April Fools’ Day by announcing he was releasing a line of knitted willy warmers.
The Olympic diver, 29, posted a series of hilarious images showing the cheeky garments and wrote they could be used to keep ‘your pecker perky and piping hot all year round’.
Tom chose a variety of poses as he beamed alongside the willy warmers before attaching one to his head and hanging them off his ears.
Captioning the funny shots, he wrote: ‘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!’
Tom’s followers were quick to take to the comments to call out his joke, with one writing: ‘Tom, you almost had me fooled!’ while another wrote: ‘It’s an April Fools!’.
+41
In 2022, Tom Daley marked April Fools’ Day by announcing he was releasing a line of knitted willy warmers
+41
The Olympic diver, 29, posted a series of hilarious images showing the cheeky garments and wrote they could be used to keep ‘your pecker perky and piping hot all year round’
+41
Tom chose a variety of poses as he beamed alongside the willy warmers before attaching one to his head and hanging them off his ears
Richard Branson’s alien spacecraft
One of the most famous April Fools pranks was by billionaire Richard Branson, back in 1989, due to it backfiring badly.
The Virgin founder was almost arrested after he flew a hot air balloon disguised as a spacecraft, over London, complete with a fake alien.
Motorists were stunned after seeing a UFO with flashing lights floating over the motorway, causing mass panic and gridlock traffic.
Richard had reportedly intended to land the craft in Hyde Park, but was blown off course by the bad weather.
The police were mobilised immediately, with even the army being put on standby, and they surrounded the UFO.
Chief Inspector Andrew Neilson at Surrey police headquarters said at the time: ‘It was lucky a serious accident did not occur. A danger was caused to motorists who stopped to look at the sky instead of the road.’
When the balloon did land, a person dressed up at E.T. emerged surrounded by dry ice before spotting the police and running back inside.
On the side of the UFO, they wrote Virgin Galactic Airways, which years later became a real life commercial spaceline.
Writing about the prank on the Virgin website in 2021, Richard recalled: ‘We could see every single vehicle grinding to a halt and hundreds of people looking up at the UFO flying over them. It was great fun watching their reactions.
‘What we didn’t know was three police forces had been mobilised, the army had been alerted and radio and TV stations had all gone on the air about a UFO flying low over London!’
He added: ‘To begin with, the police didn’t see the funny side of it and threatened to arrest us for wasting their time. Thankfully, they soon joined in the fun and left with smiles on their faces.’
+41
One of the most famous April Fools pranks was by billionaire Richard Branson , back in 1989, due to it backfiring badly (pictured in 2021)
+41
The Virgin founder was almost arrested after he flew a hot air balloon disguised as a spacecraft, over London, complete with a fake alien
+41
When the balloon did land, a person dressed up at E.T. emerged surrounded by dry ice before spotting the police and running back inside
+41
The police were mobilised immediately, with even the army being put on standby, and they surrounded the UFO, which read Virgin Galactic Airways on side – that years later became a real life commercial spaceline
Chris Pratt to voice Mickey Mouse
Chris Pratt took the opportunity to trick his fans on April Fools’ Day last year, by playing up to his controversial casting in the The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The actor, 44, voiced Mario in the 2023 film, which led to a lot of backlash from fans, who felt he was not a good fit.
Many said that the iconic video game character should be played by an Italian, while others voiced their dislike of the trend of animated films ignoring trained voice actors in favor of untrained screen actors in order to advertise more prominent stars.
Chris had already voiced lead roles in The Lego movies and Pixar animated film Onward, while he is set to voice Garfield in next year’s film based on the comic strip.
Chris and the film’s producers defended his casting at the time, with the Guardians of the Galaxy star saying: ‘I totally get it, man. There’s a passionate fan base and I’m one of the fans. I get it.
‘Mostly, people don’t want something like this to get screwed up. They’re precious about it. They’re careful. And I’m grateful for that.’
So on April 1, he decided to poke fun at the controversy by taking to Instagram to share the news he had been cast as the voice of Mickey in an upcoming film adaptation of Mickey Mouse.
Sharing a photo of the iconic Disney character, he wrote: ‘Proud to share that I will be The Lead Voice in the upcoming film adaptation of Disney’s Mickey Mouse! Get ready for it to hit the big screens in 2025!’
While many quickly realised that Chris was joking, some were tricked and immediately voiced their shock.
+41
Chris Pratt took the opportunity to trick his fans on April Fools’ Day last year, by playing up to his controversial casting in the The Super Mario Bros. Movie (pictured in June)
+41
The actor, 44, voiced Mario in the 2023 film, which led to a lot of backlash from fans, who felt he was not a good fit (still from film pictured)
+41
Chris had already voiced lead roles in The Lego movies and Pixar animated film Onward, while he is set to voice Garfield in next year’s film based on the comic strip
+41
On April 1, he decided to poke fun at the controversy by taking to Instagram to share the news he had been cast as the voice of Mickey in an upcoming film adaptation of Mickey Mouse
Rihanna breaks into Jimmy Kimmel’s bedroom
Jimmy Kimmel has built himself a reputation as a prankster, so it was very satisfying to see Rihanna turn the tables on the TV presenter in 2015.
The superstar, 36, snuck into Jimmy’s house with a film crew, after conspiring with Jimmy’s wife, Molly McNearney for April Fools’ Day.
Rihanna silently crept into his bedroom while he was sleeping, before giving him a wake-up call, he’s sure not to forget.
The singer leapt onto his bed and launched into a rendition of his song B***h Better Have My Money, while raining dollar bills onto him.
The performance was complete with backup dancers, confetti, flashing lights, giant speakers, and pillow-throwing.
A startled Jimmy was awoken in shock and confusion, with the hilarious moment later being aired on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Rihanna’s prank proved so hilarious and popular that it inspired a wave of fellow pop stars to follow in her footsteps.
Britney Spears, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey have all also played the same trick on Jimmy by waking him in the middle of the night with Molly’s help.
+41
Jimmy Kimmel has built himself a reputation as a prankster, so it was very satisfying to see Rihanna turn the tables on the TV presenter in 2015
+41
The superstar, 36, snuck into Jimmy’s house with a film crew for April Fools’ while he was sleeping, before giving him a wake-up call, he’s sure not to forget
+41
A startled Jimmy was awoken in shock and confusion, with the hilarious moment later being aired on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!
+41
Rihanna’s prank proved so hilarious and popular that it inspired a wave of fellow pop stars to follow in her footsteps (Britney pictured)
+41
Britney Spears, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey (pictured) have all also played the same trick on Jimmy by waking him in the middle of the night with Molly’s help
Ant & Dec launch cryptocurrency
Ant and Dec are known for being a couple of pranksters, regularly engaging in hilarious stunts on their show Saturday Night Takeaway.
The Geordie duo rarely let April Fools’ Day pass them by, often posting fake announcements such as when they decided to change their name to Dec & Ant instead.
But one of their most memorable jokes was in 2022, when the TV presenters tried to trick their fans into thinking they’d launched their own cryptocurrency.
Ant & Dec shared a snap of them holding a pile of Toon Coin in their hands, writing that they had begun work on the project in the 1990s while starring on Byker Grove.
The pair thanked someone called Safri Pollo for helping their dream become a reality and shared a closer look at the coin, which featured the iconic Tyne Bridge on the back, and quotes from each of them.
They wrote: ‘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 in our bio for more info…’
Ant added: ‘We actually developed Toon Coin back in the early 90s as a way of simplifying PJ and Duncan gig ticket sales.
‘We were on the brink of something then but it had to take a back seat when we released our Psyche album.”
Dec continued: ‘It’s not commonly known, but bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto was actually a boom operator on Byker Grove back in the day!
‘Ant and I often discussed Toon Coin during breaks from filming, and 18 years later bitcoin appears… coincidence?
While some fans were fooled at first, many quickly realised it was a joke, especially after working out that Safri Pollo is actually an anagram for April Fools, but many ended up contributing to the prank.
+41
Ant and Dec are known for being a couple of pranksters, regularly engaging in hilarious stunts on their show Saturday Night Takeaway (pictured)
+41
But one of their most memorable jokes was in 2022, when the TV presenters tried to trick their fans into thinking they’d launched their own cryptocurrency called Toon Coin
+41
The pair thanked someone called Safri Pollo for helping their dream become a reality and shared a closer look at the coin, which featured the iconic Tyne Bridge on the back, and quotes from each of them
John Stamos plays himself in Netflix documentary
John Stamos and Netflix pulled out all the stops for their hilarious April 1 joke in 2016, with many different levels to the prank
The actor, 60, revealed a new project with the streaming giant, in which he would be playing John Stamos in a documentary about John Stamos called John Stamos: A Human, Being.
The clip say the Full House star begin: ‘Hi I’m John Stamos. I guess it was the fall of 2015 when things looked to be going a little south for those guys at Netflix.
‘My friend, fellow Greek American Ted Sarandos, head of content there – he came to me and he said “John my friend, you’ve built more than a life for yourself… you’ve built a brand”.’
He revealed the streaming firm begged him to let them take their company to ‘the next level’.
‘”As part of that we want you to play the role of a lifetime. We want John Stamos to play John Stamos.
‘Naturally I was was flattered and said hey you guys, you got my attention: I want to hear what you’ve got,’ he said, before introducing ‘something very special’ – a teaser for the new documentary.
To dramatic music, the brooding actor’s voiceover narrates as a montage of his adoring fans is shown interwoven with shirtless pics from his Full House days.
‘Who is John Stamos? What is John Stamos?’ he muses. ‘Good question. Teenage heartthrob, worldwide brand.’
‘What is a star? A bad boy? A good guy?’ he asks. ‘John Stamos is more than just a human being. John Stamos a human, being’.
The title card confirms: ‘From the mind of John Stamos comes the life of John Stamos’ before concluding: ‘Lights. Camera. Stamos.’
On the same day, Netflix’s entire menu system assimilated, offering choices such as ‘Popular Like John Stamos was in High School’; ‘Trending Now like John Stamos’; ‘Watch It Again Because John Stamos Thinks You Should’; ‘John Stamos’s Picks For You’; ‘British Movies That John Stamos Uses To Impress the Ladies’; and ‘Independent Films Starring Actors Less Rich & Famous Than John Stamos’.
John tweeted out that the full series was set to air on April 31, which of course does not exist.
The prank sent fans into hysterics, but in a twist John appeared to have also been duped.
After finding out the whole thing was a joke, he tweeted his disgust as a video ‘leaked’ of him having a meltdown in Netflix HQ.
Hastily shot phone footage saw the actor shouting at the receptionist: ‘What do you mean he’s not available? Tell him John f***ing Stamos is here!’
‘He wants to make fun of me? My brand? My f***ing brand? My 30 years in showbiz? Look at this glorified Blockbuster, that’s all it is. Netflix? Sh*tflix, that’s what I call it’.
He smashes a glass against the wall and when the receptionist offers him parking validation, he throws the ticket back in rage, yelling: ‘I don’t need parking!’
+41
John Stamos and Netflix pulled out all the stops for their hilarious April 1 joke in 2016, with many different levels to the prank
+41
The actor, 60, revealed a new project with the streaming giant, in which he would be playing John Stamos in a documentary about John Stamos called John Stamos: A Human, Being
+41
To dramatic music, the brooding actor’s voiceover narrates as a montage of his adoring fans is shown interwoven with shirtless pics from his Full House days
Netflix creates thoughtful John Stamos doc – April fools’!
+41
John tweeted out that the full series was set to air on April 31, which of course does not exist
+41
On the same day, Netflix’s entire menu system changed, offering choices like ‘Watch It Again Because John Stamos Thinks You Should’; ‘British Movies That John Stamos Uses To Impress the Ladies’ and ‘Independent Films Starring Actors Less Rich & Famous Than John Stamos’
+41
The prank sent fans into hysterics, but in a twist John appeared to have also been duped. After finding out the whole thing was a joke, he tweeted his disgust as a video ‘leaked’ of him having a meltdown in Netflix HQ
+41
Hastily shot phone footage saw the actor shouting at the receptionist: ‘What do you mean he’s not available? Tell him John f***ing Stamos is here!’
John Stamos throws tantrum filming Netflix April Fools’ video
Vicky Pattison becomes Kim Kardashian’s trainer
Vicky Pattison teamed up with The Mirror in 2015 to make her prank look extra convincing.
The former Geordie Shore star, 36, claimed she had landed a role as Kim Kardashian’s personal trainer.
She told the publication: ‘I met Kim and Kanye when they were in London for the Brits last month. Our managers know each other so they introduced us and we got talking about fitness.
‘I was telling her about my workout DVD and nutritional products and Kim was well excited about it. She asked me there and then if I’d be up for going over to LA and training her myself.
‘I was ecstatic like, I’m a massive fan of the Kardashians and it’s an opportunity I couldn’t let pass by. It’s a dream come true. I can’t believe it! Who would have thought I could end up doing this?!’
Vicky declared that she was going across the pond with the next few weeks to begin her intensive training programme with the billionaire.
She added: ‘I’m not sure how I’m going to handle that a** of hers mind. I’m not sure she needs to do anymore squats!’
She added that she was worried about the pressure from Kim’s then husband Kanye West, saying: ‘Kanye told us he wasn’t happy with Kim’s last trainer because she wasn’t able to help her lose 15lbs.
‘Apparently he went crazy on her like. I’m going to be s***ing myself whenever he’s around. But I do reckon I can do a decent job.’
+41
Vicky Pattison teamed up with The Mirror in 2015 to make her prank look extra convincing (pictured last month)
+41
The former Geordie Shore star, 36, claimed she had landed a role as Kim Kardashian’s personal trainer
+41
Vicky declared that she was going across the pond with the next few weeks to begin her intensive training programme with the billionaire (Kim pictured with her real trainer)
+41
She added: ‘I’m not sure how I’m going to handle that a** of hers mind. I’m not sure she needs to do anymore squats!’ (Kim pictured)
Lin Manuel Miranda creates The Room musical
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda sent theatre fans into a spin in 2018, when it was reported that he was creating a musical based on Tommy Wiseau’s cult-classic The Room.
After a theatre website broke the story, Lin-Manuel tweeted seemingly confirming the news and linking to the article.
Taking to Twitter on April 1, he wrote: ‘This is all VERY premature, we’ll try it out of town in San Francisco’.
The musical was said to be called Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tommy Wiseau’s The Room: The Broadway Musical.
The lead role was said to being played by Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, while a leaked track list showed song called ‘Where’s My F–king Money’ and ‘Oh Hai, Mark’.
However, Lin-Manuel later revealed it had sadly been an April Fools prank by theatermania that he had gone along with.
Fans couldn’t hide their disappointment, with one writing: ‘oh man can this actually happen though? Like, really?’ while another quipped: ‘You are tearing me apart Lin-Manuel!’
+41
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (pictured last year) sent theatre fans into a spin in 2018, when it was reported that he was creating a musical based on Tommy Wiseau’s cult-classic The Room
+41
After a theatre website broke the story, Lin-Manuel tweeted seemingly confirming the news and linking to the article
+41
The musical was said to be called Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tommy Wiseau’s The Room: The Broadway Musical (Tommy Wiseau pictured in The Room in 2003)
+41
The lead role was said to being played by Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, while a leaked track list showed song called ‘Where’s My F–king Money’ and ‘Oh Hai, Mark’
