When celebrities turn the tables on their fans and coworkers with April Fools' pranks throughout the years

A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month from Peopleworld, who promise that today on one of the most mischievous of days will be a prank free zone. We can’t speak for the number of celebrities that we cover and their intentions on this day, however, who in the past have had a little fun at our expense on April Fools Day.

The history of this day is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have originated in France in the 16th century. One popular theory is that the day was created when the Gregorian calendar was introduced in France in 1582, which moved the New Year from the last week of March to January 1st. Those who continued to celebrate the New Year at the old time were mocked and made fun of by others, leading to the birth of April Fools' Day.

Another theory is that the day was linked to the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, when nature 'fools' people with unpredictable weather changes and blooming flowers. But for many of us, we’ve all been a sucker or a mark for an April Fool’s prank, when it’s all in good natured fun.

Who could forget when Google introduced the world of portable internet by simply flushing a specific Google branded internet cable down the toilet with Google TiSP, or Sir Richard Branson revealing “Virgin Volcanic,” offering customers trips to the middle of the earth. Though sometimes things can backfire - Gmail was officially launched on April Fools Day with many claiming a free web-based email client with a gigabyte of storage was just too unbelievable. 

So be wary of any posts before 12pm GMT from your favourite UK based celebs - you could be fooled by an April Fool’s given how widespread social media can make things. If your favourite celebrity happens to be overseas - maybe wait an entire day before fact checking and reporting.

What memorable April Fools Day pranks have celebrities played?

Justin Bieber - 2015

Not all April Fool's pranks pan out the way their instigator planned it to - in 2015, Justin Bieber pulled off an elaborate April Fools' Day prank that fooled millions of his fans around the world. He posted a series of photos on his Instagram account that showed him appearing to be getting a new tattoo on his face. The tattoo was a small image of a pair of glasses, located just above his right eyebrow. 

Fans were shocked by the apparent tattoo, with many expressing their surprise and disappointment that Bieber would get such a visible tattoo. However, it later turned out that the tattoo was fake and that Bieber had used a special kind of makeup to create the illusion of a tattoo. The prank went viral and was covered by many news outlets - but also saw Bieber land in hot water for being "insensitive" towards those who have fertility problems. He later apologised for his insensitivity.

Ellen Degeneres - 2014

Ellen DeGeneres has pranked Taylor Swift on several occasions throughout the years, so it depends on which specific prank you are referring to. However, one of the most famous pranks that Ellen played on Taylor Swift was during an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that aired on February 27, 2015.

During the show, Ellen showed a clip of Taylor Swift getting scared by a fake spider while backstage at the show. Ellen then revealed that she had set up the prank and that the spider was not real. Taylor Swift, who is known for being easily scared, was visibly shaken by the prank but took it in good humour.

This is just one example of the many times Ellen has pranked Taylor Swift, who has also gotten her revenge by pulling her own pranks on Ellen during her appearances on the show.

Vicky Pattison - 2015

The Mirror published an article on April 1, 2016, which claimed that reality star Vicky Pattison had landed a job as Kim Kardashian's personal trainer, and that she was set to move to LA to start her new job. The article even featured a fake quote from Kardashian, in which she praised Pattison's fitness expertise.

However, the whole story was a joke, and neither Pattison nor Kardashian had any involvement in the prank. It was just a bit of fun to mark April Fools' Day, and both Pattison and The Mirror later confirmed that it was all a hoax, with the Mirror even asking online readers if they fell for it.

George Clooney - 2013

George Clooney pulled off a hilarious April Fools' Day prank on his friend and fellow actor, Matt Damon. Clooney, who was directing the film The Monuments Men, convinced Damon that he needed to lose a significant amount of weight for his role. Clooney went as far as to hire a team of actors to pose as doctors and nurses, who took Damon's measurements and gave him a fake medical examination.

Over the next few weeks, Damon received regular updates on his supposed weight loss progress, with Clooney even sending him a fruit basket as a reward. However, on the day of filming, Damon was shocked to find out that it was all a prank and that he had not lost any weight at all. 

It left Damon feeling embarrassed, but he later admitted that he found it funny and appreciated Clooney's sense of humour and it’s become widely known as one of the most epic April Fools' Day pranks in Hollywood history.

Jennifer Garner - 2021

Jennifer Garner posted a video on April 1 2021 that appeared to be a cooking tutorial, in which she demonstrated how to make ‘homemade’ English muffins. However, as the video progressed, it became clear that the actress had no idea what she was doing in the kitchen.

Garner's so-called cooking tutorial was filled with hilarious blunders, such as forgetting to add salt to the dough, attempting to whisk dry ingredients with a fork, and breaking a spatula while trying to flip the muffins. Throughout the video, she maintained a cheerful and optimistic attitude, despite the obvious mishaps in her attempt to make the perfect English muffins.

The joke was finally revealed at the end of the video when Garner held up a store-bought package of English muffins, admitting that she had been pretending to make them the entire time.

This isn’t the first time Jennifer Garner has joked around with her Instagram fans; in 2019, she revealed during that April Fool’s Day she was set to release a book; poking fun at the trend of celebrities writing tell-all books at that time.