Top 10 WTF British Moments of 2018

Top 10 WTF British Moments of 2018

Sometimes fact really is stranger than fiction. Welcome to WatchMojo UK, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 WTF British moments of 2018.

For this list we’re looking at the strangest, cringiest and most memorable moments from British TV, sport and politics in 2018.

#10: Donald Trump Drops By

The President visited the UK in July, and it’s fair to say he received a mixed reception, with some protestors taking the unusual step of commissioning a six-metre baby Trump balloon to float through London. Even Theresa May probably wished she hadn’t invited him after he publicly criticised her Brexit plan and claimed May-rival Boris Johnson would make a ‘great’ Prime Minister. But the undoubted highlight – or rather lowlight – of Trump’s visit came at Windsor Castle, where he appeared to keep the Queen waiting before blocking her off as they inspected the Coldstream Guards. Get your coat, Mr President.

#9: The Heatwave

Yes, we know. We Brits just love to moan about the weather. But 2018 gave us an especially unusual cause for complaint: it was too hot! North, south, east and west, we sweltered. The summer was the UK’s joint hottest since records began, and the hottest ever for England, with temperatures peaking at 35.3˚C in Kent. So how did the Met Office recommend we take advantage of the weather? That’s right, by staying indoors. There was some danger, though. The heat resulted in wildfires near Bolton, and even forced reduced speed on the railways as tracks began to buckle in the searing temperatures.

#8: YouTube Boxing

KSI and Joe Weller are two of Britain’s most successful Youtubers, with 25 million followers between them. In 2018, after a lengthy online feud, the two decided to settle their differences in a unique way – in the ring. But since neither has any professional boxing experience, you’d think no one would be interested in watching, right? Wrong. The video of the fight amassed more than 18 million views, and a subsequent clash between KSI and US Youtuber Logan Paul is considered to be the largest event in YouTube history, with 20 million people watching it live. Go figure.

#7: The UKIP Leadership Fiasco

In February 2018, Henry Bolton was ousted as UKIP leader after just five months in the job, following his affair with 25-year-old model, Jo Marney. Marney sparked outrage by insulting Meghan Markle and describing Grenfell Tower as a “nest of illegal immigrants”. Viewers of “This Morning” were then treated to a car-crash interview in which Marney denied she is a racist, and Bolton tried to shift the blame onto social media and its impact on wider society. But can he be trusted? It seems not even Marney thinks so!

#6: The Royal Wedding

Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle may have been one of 2018’s biggest TV events, but the build-up was dogged by all sorts of scandal and accusations – including that Meghan’s father accepted money for staging paparazzi pictures. On the day itself, the limelight was stolen by Reverend Michael Curry and his wedding sermon. Some viewers called the preacher the star of the show, but the Royals may have thought otherwise judging by their smirks and baffled expressions. The speech went on for a gruelling 12 minutes, but we’re guessing from Elton John’s face that it felt much longer.

#5: The Skripal Interviews

The Salisbury poisoning incidents are no laughing matter, but the subsequent interview by two Russian suspects certainly qualifies as bizarre. Among other highly questionable claims, the men said they had flown thousands of miles to visit Salisbury’s cathedral, describing it in words apparently borrowed from Wikipedia. Then there was the claim about changing travel plans because the city was covered in slush.The Salisbury tragedy also gave rise to this bruising GMB interview, when Piers Morgan asked a former Kremlin adviser what Putin meant when he said traitors would “kick the bucket”.

#4: Going, Going, Gone

Celebrated street artist Banksy found an especially unusual way of celebrating the auction sale of his painting “Girl with Balloon” for £860,000… he shredded it. The now-infamous incident was thankfully caught on camera, while a later video showed how he’d installed a shredder into the frame with the intention of destroying not just part of picture, but all of it. In spite of the damage, the winning bidder went through with the purchase, claiming she was buying a piece of art history. The painting has now been fittingly renamed “Love is in the Bin”.

#3: The World Cup Semi-Finals

We all know what happens when the England men’s football team plays at major tournaments: the media builds the players up to be world-beaters before they lose embarrassingly to Iceland. But this time the England team actually emerged with its reputation enhanced, after reaching the last four, and scoring five goals in one half against Panama. And did we mention that Germany got knocked out in the group stage? It was truly the stuff of dreams for England football fans – even if there was a beer shortage partway through. The ‘years of hurt’ do go on, but this one hurt just a little bit less than the others.

#2: Punchgate

2018 saw the final series of “Celebrity Big Brother”, and the show went out with a bang for all the wrong reasons. Former Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett became public enemy number one when she falsely accused Ryan Thomas of punching her repeatedly. Pallett even called him a “woman beater” and claimed she was scared to be in the same room as him. After leaving the Big Brother house, Pallett admitted she had made a “horrible mistake” and labelled herself the most “hated woman in Britain” – a claim which was met with few arguments.

#1: Brexit, Brexit, Brexit

There’s no doubt that Brexit has been 2018’s top talking point. The subject has been slowly sending the country crazy, as shown by Theresa May’s dance to the podium at the Tory Party Conference – and we’re using the word “dance” here in its loosest possible sense. Among other memorable Brexit moments, who could forget Danny Dyer’s expletive-filled rant about David Cameron? And, if you’re still unclear as to what Brexit means for the country, don’t worry: the contestants of “Love Island” are here to clear things up. It’s pretty simple stuff, really…