Tucker Carlson became the subject of a prank when British YouTube duo Josh & Archie, convinced the journalist they had exclusive insight from a supposed former Kensington Palace insider. The “whistleblower,” played by Archie Manners, was introduced as the royal family’s ex-digital content creator, allegedly fired for botching the editing of a Mother’s Day photo that it sparked conspiracy theories and public outcry.
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The prank unfolded after Manners and his accomplice Josh Pieters created fake employment records from Kensington Palace to substantiate their story. Their scheme included a bogus contract stipulating the palace’s right to amputate a limb should the whistleblower fail to meet his probationary requirements. Accoring to Deadline, the interview was arranged to take place in a London studio equipped for direct communication with Carlson, now hosting on the Tucker Carlson Network streaming via Twitter(also known as X). During the staged interview, Carlson, attempting to confirm the authenticity of his guest’s identity, stating: “We’ve done our best to verify that your identity is what you say it is. You’re not a fake [Alexei] Navalny or doing a prank.”
Manners claimed he was dismissed for negligence after failing to edit a photograph taken by Middleton’s uncle, including removing a Christmas tree from the backdrop. Following the interview, Carlson expressed satisfaction, praising the discussion and indicating plans to broadcast the segment the following week.
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However, before the segment could air, Manners and Pieters chose to reveal the hoax and explained their decision to come clean, emphasizing their reluctance to spread false information to Carlson’s extensive following on X. He articulated a desire to prevent the propagation of unfounded rumors to a vast audience.
“We didn’t want to cause any more rumors, that are not true, to go out to lots and lots of people,” he said. “We just didn’t want to be too worthy about that in our video.”
Manners also shared that part of their strategy involved flattering Carlson, falsely asserting they approached him with the story because mainstream UK media outlets had refused it. This incident underscores the intricate lengths individuals may go to fabricate stories, highlighting the challenges in distinguishing truth from deception in the digital age.