Jonathan Royle: Britain’s Biggest Ever Media Prankster & Chat Show Hoaxer
From 1993 to 1998, Jonathan Royle embarked on a six-year journey that would cement his reputation as Britain’s Biggest Ever Media Prankster and Television Chat Show Hoaxer.
Armed with an arsenal of aliases, fake names, simple disguises, and outlandish fabricated stories, Royle orchestrated a series of elaborate media pranks that fooled newspapers, magazines, television, and radio shows across the globe.
This wasn’t just about fooling the press; it was a masterclass in exposing how the media often prioritizes sensationalism over truth.
From utterly ridiculous narratives to outrageous hoaxes, Royle proved time and time again just how easy it was to manipulate the media machine.
And along the way he also inadvertently opened a massive can of worms that would in later years finally help expose the dishonest and often wholly illegal activities of the notorious “News of the World” journalist Mazher Mahmood aka The Fake Sheikh.
The Art of the Hoax
Jonathan Royle’s time as a media prankster spanned print, television, and radio. His fabricated stories became the centrepiece of global headlines and led to appearances on TV chat shows, debate programs, factual documentaries, and entertainment broadcasts.
Some of his most infamous stunts included:
Addicted to Quavers: A fabricated tale of a man who claimed to be addicted to Quavers crisps.
Pet Snails Ultimatum: A story of a man whose partner threatened to leave him unless he got rid of his pet snails.
The Kilroy Flasher: In early 1998, the producers of BBC One’s debate show “Kilroy” engaged Royle to create a water cooler moment that would go viral and attract publicity for their show to help them win the ratings war against ITV’s debate show which had just started in the same time slot. When (as he was paid to do) he Flashed on Live TV it caused a sensation.
The Paper Bag Man: Featured in The Daily Sport, Royle (posing as “Nigel Brown”) appeared wearing a paper bag on his head, refusing to remove it until Princess Diana left Dodi Fayed.
Watch Out Boobies About: Television’s “You’ve Been Framed” comedy accidents caught on home movie show was put on red alert when Royle & his then girlfriend apparently accidently sent them a sex tape instead of the intended Skiing mishap video.
The Lottery Lover: A man pursued by supermodels after “winning the lottery,” only for them to discover he’d only won £44.
Hypnotic Seduction Hoax: The media ran stories claiming Royle hypnotized women into believing he was their favourite film star to seduce them, when in reality, these were paid actresses telling a fabricated tale.
The Controversial Sex Tape Hoax: Royle orchestrated a stunt with a glamour model with whom he consensually filmed a video simulating sex that fooled media outlets into claiming the tape featured actual inappropriate acts, further proving how the media often falls for sensationalist bait & does not check the validity of things properly before publication. see a clip from that tape here –
And those are just a few examples of the many dozens & dozens of fabricated stories that Royle in a host of assumed names & disguises was able to get world-wide media coverage with including literally 100’s of Television, Radio, Newspaper & Magazine Features Globally.
Ironically some of the things that started as Media Pranks such as Psychic Belly Button Reading aka Navel Gazing and so called Pawology aka Palmistry for dogs or Pawmistry ended up becoming actual skills that Royle became a Master of and to this day are still features in some of his live performances.
Exposing Media Manipulation
While these pranks showcased Royle’s creativity, they also exposed the media’s darker side. Royle discovered that many outlets distort, twist, and embellish stories to fit their desired narrative, often publishing outright lies or fabricated details he never claimed.
Along the way he has also worked as a Publicist & Public Relations Consultant for various Celebrities and also as an investigative journalist.
One story of note that Royle helped with was to recruit his friend and Hypnosis Student Chris Lee to help expose a genuinely dangerous private investigator and his predatory client in a “News of the World” expose article (depicted on this page) entitled “We Nail Beast Hiring Hypnotist to Brainwash Ex into Bed & Now He Stands No Trance At All”
This first-hand experience gave Royle a unique perspective into how the media – and the often-murky world of public relations – truly operates.
A Turning Point
In 1998, Royle attempted to expose the dishonest practices of Rupert Murdoch’s former News of the World and Sun on Sunday journalist, Mazher Mahmood (a.k.a. “The Fake Sheikh”). This attempt backfired, leading to Royle’s imprisonment for delivery of counterfeit coins – a story detailed on www.circusofthemind.net
However, this only strengthened his resolve to shine a light on the media’s unethical practices. In April 2000, with the help of celebrity publicist Kizzi Nkwocha, Royle revealed his past as a media prankster and chat show hoaxer to the world media.
What Royle Offers Today
Jonathan Royle now uses his unique experiences to educate, inspire, and protect others. He is available for:
1. Talks & Consultancy
Media Publicity Stunts: Learn how to engineer attention-grabbing stunts and events to gain media coverage.
Protecting Your Reputation: Strategies to safeguard your personal or company image from media lies, intrusion, and illegal activities.
2. Keynote Speeches & Presentations
Out-of-the-Box Marketing: Discover unconventional marketing, advertising, publicity, and promotional strategies to make your brand unforgettable.
Corporate Reputation Management: Insights on navigating the media landscape while protecting your company’s image.
The Books & Resources
Dive deeper into Jonathan Royle’s incredible journey and his lessons on media manipulation through his three must-read books (pictured towards bottom of this page).
These books reveal the fuller story behind his pranks, his experiences with media corruption, and actionable advice on navigating the world of publicity and reputation management.
See What the Media Said
Explore some of the media articles and images from Royle’s most notorious hoaxes featured in the images on this page.
For even more background on his quest to expose dishonesty in the media, visit www.circusofthemind.net to uncover the shocking truths behind his journey as a media prankster and the dark side of media manipulation.
Ready to Book Jonathan Royle?
Whether you’re looking for a dynamic keynote speaker, a consultant on publicity stunts, or an expert in media reputation management, Jonathan Royle brings a wealth of unparalleled experience and insight.
Contact him today on royle@magicalguru.com and transform your understanding of how the media truly works!
CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHIC HYPNOTIST
IMPOSTER – VOLUMES ONE & TWO
