Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall, 37, embraced the spirit of April Fool's Day by orchestrating an elaborate prank on Capital FM's Breakfast Show host Will Manning. During the live broadcast on Wednesday, Whitehall dramatically stormed out of the studio, feigning offence over questions about a past on-air blunder.
The Prank Unfolds on Air
Will Manning initiated the segment by reminding Whitehall of his previous appearance on the show, where he accidentally revealed that singer Raye would perform at the BRIT Awards before the announcement was officially made. Manning played a clip of the toe-curling moment, prompting Whitehall to adopt a serious tone.
"Yeah, I got in a load of trouble," Whitehall admitted, before expressing reluctance to revisit the incident. "It's just... I got in. We did talk about this. I just... Yeah. Because it was, you know, obviously it was funny at the time, but then I did get in... So, you know, it’s not something I want to..."
A Dramatic Exit
As Manning apologised, Whitehall's frustration appeared to escalate. "I’ve literally come in all the way... Sorry, I’m just having a bit of a moment this morning," he declared before removing his headphones and walking out of the studio. Manning frantically began playing another song to fill the airtime.
Moments later, Whitehall burst into laughter, revealing the entire episode was an April Fool's prank. "Can you hear that on the radio? The sound of his bottom quivering! I had you, I literally had you!" he exclaimed. Manning branded him "an idiot" in response, with Whitehall adding, "That worked so much better than I have possibly expected!"
Context of the Previous Slip-Up
Whitehall, who returned as host of the BRIT Awards in February, confessed that he received a telling-off from bosses after the accidental revelation about Raye's performance. The prank cleverly played on this real-life incident, creating a believable scenario that left Manning squirming.
Recent Stag Party Celebrations
The radio appearance comes after Whitehall recently celebrated his stag party with a six-hour pub crawl through London's Soho district. He was joined by close friends including actor and TV presenter James Corden, 47, former footballer Jamie Redknapp, 52, and ex-rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio.
The festivities began at the Devonshire pub at 3pm, where Whitehall was seen in high spirits, raising glasses and laughing with his companions. By 5pm, the group moved to risque cabaret venue The Box in Soho for what was believed to be a private show. At 8:30pm, the celebrations took a playful turn with a round of mini-golf at Swingers, a cheekily named mini-golf bar.
Whitehall is preparing to tie the knot with model Roxy Horner later this year, adding personal significance to the stag celebrations. His camaraderie with Corden and Redknapp dates back to their time as colleagues on Sky's sports-comedy panel show A League Of Their Own.
Radio Show Details
Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby airs weekdays from 6am to 10am across the UK and on Global Player. Whitehall's prank provided unexpected entertainment during the Wednesday broadcast, demonstrating his flair for comedic timing and improvisation.
