Top 10 WTF British Moments of 2019
For this list, we're looking at all the craziest things to hit the presses in the UK this year. Don't worry we won't talk about Brexit – pretty sure you're already sick of hearing about that.
#10: Prince Philip’s Car Crash
The year got off to a bizarre start when 97-year-old Prince Philip ended up in a car accident in which two women were injured but a child, luckily, was unscathed. While he blamed the sun for distracting him, it didn’t take long for Philip to surrender his license because of the intense public outcry. The police decided not to charge the Duke of Edinburgh for the incident, however, and just a few days later he was spotted driving without a seatbelt in the grounds of Sandringham. But the story didn’t stop there; months later, the woman who’d been driving the other car faced unrelated driving charges in court. Conspiracy?!
#9: Taken: Out of Context
Actor Liam Neeson made the headlines earlier this year when he reflected on a particularly dark time in his life. A female friend of his was assaulted around thirty years ago, and he told an interviewer he spent the rest of the night looking for someone “black” to “kill.” When the interview went viral, people were furious, with many calls for Neeson to apologise not just for the apparent racism, but for making a woman’s assault about his own emotions. In the end, the people got their way, and Neeson did apologise for something he already admitted was a mistake. He hasn’t suffered a lack of roles or opportunities since the incident – Probably that unique set of skills of his at work again.
#8: Coleen Rooney & Rebekah Vardy Spat
Tensions were running high between these two footballer’s wives in 2019, seemingly beginning when Coleen Rooney publicly accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking sensitive stories about her to the tabloids, even threatening to take her to court. After being followed and photographed by the paparazzi, Rebekah hit back, saying she’s done no such thing and thinks less of Coleen for kicking up a fuss while Rebekah is heavily pregnant. This feud has been months in the making as, according to Rebekah, Coleen has had her blocked on Instagram since March. It’s even extended to their husbands, as Jamie Vardy has reportedly unfollowed Wayne Rooney on Twitter. God, who cares?
#7: Prince Andrew’s Royal Mess
With all the controversy surrounding this royal and Jeffery Epstein, this interview would surely clear the air… right? Well, not quite. Despite Andrew claiming he thought the interview went well, it was pretty dire and a public vote revealed that only 6% of Brits believed a word he said.
Most humorous of all, his alibi for not being present for one event was that he was in a Pizza Express in Woking that night. Said Pizza express was then review bombed on google with some rather hilarious results. Needless to say, we too are looking forward to Season 13 of The Crown after this.
#6: Ant & Dec are Related
The presenting duo have ruled the small screen with an iron fist for years and have stuck by each other through everything. But they got much more than they bargained for when they took part in “Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey” in November 2019. First was the revelation that they might be related to the royals, but the nation was shocked to find out that they’re distantly related. They both share the S660 DNA marker, which is impossible if they aren’t very, very distant cousins. This traces back over a thousand years to a Viking warrior they are both descended from. Slow news day? Maybe but at least this justifies mixing up their names now.
#5: Lewis Capaldi vs. Noel Gallagher
Noel didn’t hold back during a radio interview when he criticised the state of modern music, branding Scottish star Lewis Capaldi an “idiot.” Capaldi responded in typical fashion by wearing a t-shirt with Noel’s face on it in a big heart during his performance at Glastonbury. Just when people thought they’d buried the hatchet after meeting at the Mad Cool Festival, Capaldi made sure it continued by kissing Noel Gallagher’s daughter Anais, which she posted a picture of online. Even after Noel mocked Lewis by saying he looked like Chewbacca, he took it in his stride – what a champ.
#4: Milkshaking
During the European Parliament elections in May, a video of rightwing personality Tommy Robinson getting a McDonald’s milkshake thrown across his face went viral. “Milkshaking” swept the nation; YouTuber Carl Benjamin, or Sargon of Akkad, who was standing for UKIP, got milkshake’d four times in one week. Nigel Farage was much more vocal about it, describing it as an act of violence. McDonald’s had to stop selling milkshakes if a pro-Brexit rally was happening nearby, and some of the assailants were arrested on assault charges. A debate around “violent” protests raged throughout the elections – but whatever happened to not crying over spilt milk?
#3: 21 Savage Arrested
Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage made the headlines when he was arrested by immigration authorities, shocking the world with the revelation that he’s not who everyone thinks he is. He was taken into custody in February and threatened with deportation because he’s actually from…drumroll…the UK! Though he’s lived in Georgia since 2005. The high-profile incident caught the attention of other industry giants, and Jay-Z stepped up to hire a lawyer to defend 21 Savage and reunite him with his family. Even more remarkable is that he was nominated for two Grammys and had just performed at the Super Bowl. Doesn’t get much more yank than that.
#2: Mr Broccoli Gets Boiled
Public awareness of the climate crisis skyrocketed in 2019, with Greta Thunberg inspiring school strikes across the globe and Extinction Rebellion kicking up a fuss in the UK. While XR isn’t everyone’s cup of tea with many of their protests, like climbing on top of the DLR and blocking roads in Westminster, someone who especially dislikes them is Piers Morgan. He went head to head with climate activist “Mr Broccoli”, a man who dresses like a piece of broccoli to raise awareness for plant-based alternatives. Despite getting a chance to address the nation on “GMB”, he botched the segment by not knowing the science or the stats in an excruciatingly uncomfortable appearance.
#1: Vegan Sausage Rolls Drama
In the new year, Greggs announced that they would finally be launching a vegan sausage roll, as a tasty, meat-free alternative to their famous pastry. Though the existence of vegan sausage rolls didn’t mean Greggs would stop selling pork ones, plenty of people were outraged by the move – including Piers Morgan, yet again. When one was brought onto “GMB” for him to try, he spat it out on live television, and other people even suggested boycotting the chain. But the joke was on them, as Greggs’s profits increased dramatically following both the publicity and the addition of more products. Really tells you something that this was one of the biggest news pieces of the year. Can’t wait for 2020, folks.
