Ant and Dec managed to pull the wool over some people’s eyes with their Bitcoin-inspired April Fool’s Day prank that saw them go to great lengths to be as convincing as possible.
A year ago, the Geordie duo had fans questioning their entire existence when they announced that after more than 30 years together in showbiz, they were changing their name to Dec and Ant. Ant and Dec’s April Fool’s prank caused a stir, with one fan reacting: “April Fool’s Day really isn’t for someone as gullible as me. I was here all morning thinking Ant and Dec really changed their name to Dec and Ant for business reasons someone bring me back.
And the guys did it again for 2022 with the launch of Toon Coin. In a tweet posted just after 8 a.m., Ant and Dec bragged, “Great news! We joined the crypto revolution and launched Toon Coin.
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“This project has been in the works for quite some time after being launched in the early 90s! Many thanks to Safri Pollo for making it possible.”
The tweet linked to Ant and Dec’s website and, rather than being greeted with an April Fool’s joke, those who clicked were greeted with a very official and very compelling press release, which read: “The decision to launch their own cryptocurrency comes after years of development that were initially thwarted by the demands of their TV and music careers.”
The release featured quotes from Ant and Dec, with Ant saying, “We actually started developing Toon Coin in the early 90s as a way to simplify PJ and Duncan concert ticket sales.
“We were on the verge of something at the time, but it had to take a back seat when we released our album Psyche.”
Dec explained, “And here we are, all these years later!” Dec says: “Safri Pollo made it possible for us to realize a dream that we didn’t think was possible, and we are extremely grateful.
Taking the prank further, Ant added, “It’s not known, but the creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, was actually a Boom operator on Byker Grove, at the time!”
While the date on the calendar and Safri Pollo being an anagram of April Fool’s Day immediately alerted some fans to the prank, others were happy to admit they had fallen for it. One told Ant and Dec, “I’m not the one interested then seeing the comments and realizing I’m done.”
Also taken aback, a second replied, “Damn, I’d invest,” while others praised Ant and Dec for their efforts.