Nick Cannon 'launches reality show' Who's Having My Baby where women compete to have his child

Nick Cannon has stirred up social media with the announcement of a 'new show' where people compete to have his next baby.

Yes, you read that right. As if the world of reality television and film couldn't get any stranger than it already is - people taking on big red balls and stripping down butt naked on national television - contestants are now apparently set to compete to be Nick Cannon's next baby provider.

As if twelve children also isn't enough already, Cannon took to social media to share the 'news' of a reality series called Who's Having My Baby? supposedly premiering on E! this Spring.

Prepare to be feel like you've woken up into a Black Mirror episode:

Thankfully, while it's not April Fool's Day, apparently International Women's Day is a great time to play a prank, because according to Rolling Stone, the reality television show is fake.

As if he hadn't caused a media storm already - taking to his Instagram story the night before to tease a 'big announcement' alongside an emoji of a baby bottle - sending followers into a frenzy speculating whether he may be expecting his thirteenth child.

Joining Cannon in the prank, comedian Kevin Hart can be spotted in the fake reality show's trailer as the competition's host, announcing: "You’re going to get some contestants that wanna have your baby!"

Given the outlandish nature of reality TV and game shows these days, it wasn't initially apparent to most of Cannon's followers the 'new show' was a prank.

People subsequently flooded to social media in condemnation of the announcement.

One wrote: "This is so disrespectful of all mothers and the mothers of your children. This is embarrassing."

"They really gave Nick cannon a tv show where women are competing to have his baby… degeneracy and birdism," another said.

Fortunately, the 'new show' is all a gag, reported by Variety as being a sketch orchestrated by Hart for an upcoming project which is set to be announced very soon.

While we can all breathe a sigh of relief, joke or not, some social media users were still not amused.

"I don't know whether this is a joke or serious, but regardless it's disturbing. I don't find it amusing in the slightest. Women are not a commodity to be peddled on a game show. What strikes me is the hypocrisy and double standard related to how the public has reacted to Nick Cannon versus how they would react. If we were talking about a woman that had 12 children with five different men," one user wrote.

A second commented: "Oh! I hate them for doing this. But thank you for clarifying. Gotta go tell my mom before she starts telling everyone."

I guess it's good to know the world hasn't gone completely mad just yet.