From haunted pubs to a headline Pride slot from Beyoncé: the best April Fool's pranks that almost tricked us

The annual tradition of April Fool's Day has, thankfully, now come and gone with the cut-off deadline firmly hitting the end of all trickery and shenanigans..

Whilst the exact origins of the April 1 custom are unknown, the opportunity to play pranks and practical jokes on people has become well-versed in British culture for as long as we can all remember - for better or for worse.

As ever, it's not just family and friends who get in on the trend, with businesses, celebrities and television shows all continuing to try and deliver a harmless prank on unsuspecting audiences.

READ MORE: The CORRECT way to recycle your Easter Egg wrappings - as some do it all wrong

This year, some of the best pranks have included ghostly going's-on at a pub, a prank on Alison Hammond during This Morning, and Rick Astley finally jumping on board with his own viral moment.

We've rounded out just some of the best of this year's practical jokes, but remember that, as it's now past 12pm, any attempts to prank people now will mean that you are the fool instead... So it's probably best to save up any ideas for next year instead.

There’s been some pretty big artists who have graced the stages at Pride events across the country in the past - in fact, Ariana Grande headlined Manchester Pride back in 2019.

So when Salford Pride bosses teased this morning that the one and only Beyoncé was set to perform at Salford Pride’s The Pink Picnic later this year, there were some people that seemingly appeared to believe it. Posting on Instagram, the Pride event said: “We have been keeping something a little secret from you…… THE ONE. THE ONLY…. BEYONCÉ will be coming to Salford FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER?! To celebrate her new album and show her love and devotion