Los Angeles, California – In a surprising turn of events, pranksters Josh Pieters and Archie Manners managed to deceive former Fox News host Tucker Carlson by posing as a Kensington Palace employee named ‘George’ during an interview for his streaming show. The duo, who gained notoriety for their celebrity hoaxes on their YouTube channel, concocted a convincing narrative about being dismissed by the Prince and Princess of Wales over the Kate Middleton edited photograph controversy.
Pieters and Manners detailed their elaborate ruse in a video that quickly went viral, explaining how they managed to trick production staff at the Tucker Carlson Network (TCN) into believing their fabricated story. With Manners assuming the role of the royal couple’s former digital content creator, TCN extended an invitation for an interview with Carlson, who appeared genuinely captivated by the tale spun by the pranksters.
During the interview, Manners fed Carlson a made-up story claiming that Middleton’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, had actually taken the controversial photograph in question, debunking the narrative that it was shot by Prince William. The pranksters further revealed that they had duped TCN researchers by presenting a fake contract of employment featuring bizarre clauses, such as the royals’ supposed right to amputate a limb of Manners’ choosing if he failed a probationary period.
Following the interview, TCN informed Manners that the segment would air the following week, prompting the duo to disclose their deception sooner to prevent any spread of misinformation. Manners expressed concern about the potential dissemination of false rumors to TCN’s significant online following. The incident drew attention to the lack of thorough vetting processes in mainstream media and raised questions about journalistic integrity in the digital age.
The fiasco surrounding the doctored Middleton photograph sparked widespread speculation and conspiracy theories, overshadowing the initial controversy. Despite efforts by the palace to explain the editing as a common practice among amateur photographers, the incident snowballed into a headline-dominating saga that even reached the White House. The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of verifying sources and information in an era rife with misinformation and deception.