YouTube pranksters tricked several Royal Family experts into giving their opinions on the Meghan and Harry Oprah Winfrey interview, despite the fact they hadn't yet seen it yet.
Josh Pieters and Archie Manners invited four commentators to take part in a debate about the interview on Friday - two whole days before it aired - and were told it would go out immediately after the interview was shown.
The pranksters also managed to get the experts to discuss fake topics that hadn't been in the interview, such as Meghan's refusal to have the coronavirus vaccine.
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Editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward, the Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter, CNN's royal commentator Victoria Arbiter and royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams all appeared to give their thoughts, despite not seeing the interview.
Seward accused Meghan of being 'an actress giving one of her great performances - from start to finish Meghan was acting'.
While Fitzwilliams said Oprah gave the couple 'an easy ride' and was 'totally sympathetic' to them.
Speaking to the Guardian about the prank, Manner said: "To me, it's like asking a football commentator to give me 90 minutes of voice-noting on [a match they haven't seen]. It's such a ludicrous premise."
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Pieters added: "I think it's quite a commentary on the modern world.
"You need to really think about the information you take in, and try and verify it and do some research into what you hear and read... I think this video does point to that in a way to say, sometimes things you see aren't always as they seem."
When approached by the Guardian Fitzwilliams said he 'obviously didn't know it was a sting' and claimed his comments had been taken out of context.
He also said: "We had by then seen two trailers. Together with the hype, it promised to be pretty toxic and define Harry and Meghan's relationship with the royal family for the foreseeable future.
"This sort of pre-record, filing material in advance, is frequently done for various news stories, obituaries etc so journalists have instant comment in the event of breaking news. There is nothing whatsoever dishonourable in it."
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While Dickie Arbiter said it was 'deliberately misleading and a scam'.
He continued: "I commented only on clips already in global circulation, but my interview was edited so as to imply I was speculating on the full-programme interview. I was not speculating. I do not speculate."
LADbible has approached representatives for Victoria Arbiter and Seward.
Featured Image Credit: CBSTopics: UK News, TV and Film, YouTube