Radio Station Apologizes For Mistakenly Announcing King Charles’ Death

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King Charles III is doing just fine.

Radio Caroline, a U.K. station, wrongly reported that a 77-year-old had died on May 19th. Station manager Peter Moore then publicly apologized for the error.

Okay, so here’s what happened – and believe me, it was a bit of a scare! We had a technical glitch at our studio. Basically, we run practice simulations for important events, just in case – you know, being prepared. Unfortunately, a computer error triggered one of those simulations – the one for announcing the passing of the monarch – accidentally. It went live briefly on Tuesday afternoon, and understandably caused a lot of confusion as it mistakenly reported that His Majesty the King had passed away. It was a complete error, and we’ve been working to understand how it happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Radio Caroline briefly stopped broadcasting, which signaled us to resume programming and apologize on air. We’ve always been proud to broadcast the Queen’s, and now the King’s, Christmas Message and hope to continue doing so for years to come. We sincerely apologize to His Majesty the King and to our listeners for any inconvenience or upset this caused.

Following the song “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, an automated announcement about Charles’ death unexpectedly aired, according to audio shared online.

Radio Caroline has temporarily stopped its regular programming out of respect following the death of His Majesty King Charles III.

To show our respect, we’ll now be playing music until we announce otherwise,” the message said before the national anthem, “God Save the King,” began to play.

Charles showed he was feeling well that day by traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Queen Camilla. While there, he watched a robotics display at the W5 Life science workshop, and Camilla visited children at Fane Street Primary School.

The monarch ended the day by celebrating Fleadh Cheoil na héireann, the biggest Irish culture festival in the world.

This incident happened two years after Charles revealed he was battling cancer, though he didn’t specify the type. He had mentioned in December 2025 that because the cancer was caught early and treated promptly, his treatment plan could be scaled back.

Charles said this achievement felt deeply personal and highlighted how far cancer care has come. He emphasized that finding cancer early is crucial for survival, and it certainly made a difference for him, allowing him to keep living a full life even during treatment.

Charles isn’t the first celebrity to be mistakenly reported as dead. Here are some other famous people who’ve had to deal with false rumors about their passing.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen how damaging online rumors can be, and the story of Steve from Blues Clues is a perfect example. He’s very much alive and well, but for years, a false story circulated that he had passed away – even while he was still filming the show! He recently shared on Rainn Wilson’s Soul Bloom podcast how incredibly difficult that was, especially as he was already dealing with depression. Imagine a ‘gazillion’ strangers telling you you’re dead – it’s a huge blow! And it wasn’t just a fleeting thing; even after he left the show in the early 2000s, people would still tell him they thought he’d died. It really highlights the impact misinformation can have on someone’s mental health and well-being.

In March 2026, the Equalizer actress shut down rumors that she had died. 

She assured her followers in an Instagram video that she’s doing well, despite what they might have heard online. “Don’t believe everything you read or see,” she said, adding, “I’m okay. Everything’s good.”

Lil Tay recently confirmed her Instagram account was hacked after a false post claimed she and her brother had died. She told TMZ she and her brother are both safe, but she’s deeply upset and trying to process the situation. She described the last 24 hours as traumatic, explaining she spent the day responding to worried calls from family and friends while trying to figure out what happened.

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. However, six months before her death in September 2022, a false report claimed she had died. Hollywood Unlocked prematurely announced her death, and CEO Jason Lee defended his reporting to BuzzFeed News, stating he was very confident in the information. He promised to publicly admit the mistake if it turned out to be false, and move on to the next story.

Who is behind these fake stories? Over the years, rapper Eminem has been the target of numerous false reports claiming he has died. The latest one began in August 2023 with a viral “R.I.P. Eminem” post on Facebook. His representative confirmed to The Sun that he is, thankfully, still alive and well, and urged people to stop believing everything they read online. He’s just the latest celebrity to be victimized by this type of hoax.

In 2014, after false reports of his death in a car crash circulated online, Seinfeld actor Jerry Stiller used Twitter to let his fans know he was, in fact, “alive and well.”

Chloë, known for her role in Carrie, was upset to discover rumors circulating in 2013 that she had died in a snowboarding accident. She shared on Twitter that she’d received worried calls from family and friends, and angrily denounced the false reports, stating, “Don’t make this up. It’s not real. I am fully alive and here. You’re sick.”

 
 
 

A false report on Facebook claimed Jim Carrey died in a plane crash in 2012. But his representative confirmed to TopMob News that the actor, known for his role in The Mask, is alive and well.

The country singer quickly debunked rumors of her death, which claimed she had fallen off a mountain in Austria. In a 2012 tweet, she jokingly assured fans she was very much alive, stating, “While I would love to be shooting a movie in Austria, I definitely did not fall off a mountain! Nor am I dead! I am alive and kicking!!!”

 

To dispel rumors that he’d died of a heart attack in 2011, Jon Bon Jovi shared a photo with the current date and a message confirming he was alive and doing well, joking that ‘Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey.’

 

The rapper dispelled rumors about her death in 2011 with a tweet: “I’m Great ppl 4 all who keep asking! Alive and well! Enjoy ya night tweeps!” She followed up the next day, saying, “Yeah, it’s sad someone was so unhappy they would create such a cruel rumor! It just motivates me to work harder and prove them wrong!”

Following untrue reports that the Academy Award-winning actor was injured in a snowboarding accident in 2011, his representative confirmed to TopMob that he is currently filming on location in Atlanta.

In 2011, a false rumor spread online that actor Jackie Chan, known for films like Rush Hour, had died. A Facebook page titled “R.I.P. Jackie Chan” appeared, and the news quickly went viral. This wasn’t the first time Chan had been the subject of such rumors, as similar false reports circulated earlier that same year.

When rumors spread in 2011 that he had fallen off a cliff in New Zealand and died, the actor used Twitter to disprove them. He jokingly challenged the people spreading the false reports, writing, “I’d like to meet whoever is starting rumors of my death and show them how a dead foot feels up their backside.”

Back in 2009, false rumors circulated online claiming the rapper had died in a car accident, causing the hashtag “RIP Kanye West” to become popular on Twitter. His then-girlfriend, Amber Rose, quickly clarified the situation, tweeting that the rumors were untrue and not funny.

After false reports circulated in 2009 claiming he had passed away, actor Zach Braff released a video to assure everyone he was still alive. He jokingly explained he was on set filming the opening sequence for Scrubs, saying it felt a bit like dying, so the reports weren’t totally off. He even involved his Scrubs co-star, Donald Faison, in the prank.

Zach explained that he’d made a rather specific request: he wants his friend to sing an R&B rendition of ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ if he passes away.

That year, false rumors spread that the Academy Award-winning actor had disappeared while camping in the Palo Verde Mountains of California. Matt Damon quickly dismissed the reports with humor. When asked about it on The Late Show With David Letterman, he joked, “I haven’t heard, but I feel pretty good,” according to TMZ.

William Shatner, best known as Captain Kirk from Star Trek, recently debunked rumors about having stage 4 brain cancer. He specifically criticized a Facebook group for spreading false stories about his health, explaining they were created using artificial intelligence.

He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the stories circulating about him aren’t true, but people are still sharing them online and sending him and his family supportive messages. He added that whoever is creating these false stories is profiting from them.

In 2009, someone hacked Britney Spears’ TwitPic account and posted a message saying “sad day.” A follow-up post quickly clarified that Britney’s Twitter had been compromised and the previous message wasn’t true. It assured fans she was doing well and relaxing at home.

There’s a superstition that bad news comes in threes, and fans were understandably worried when rumors spread online that Jeff Goldblum had died on the same day as Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. However, he quickly put those fears to rest by appearing on The Colbert Report to debunk the story. He joked, “No one will miss Jeff Goldblum more than me. He was not only a friend and a mentor, but he was also, um, me.”

Despite rumors in 2010 that he had fallen from the Kauri Cliffs, the Top Gun actor was actually in New York City at the time.

Okay, so the rumors about Tom being in New Zealand? Totally false, according to his publicist! They told TopMob News he hasn’t been anywhere near New Zealand recently. It’s just made-up stuff online, honestly. Just garbage, they said! I knew it! He wouldn’t just go to New Zealand without telling us, his fans! It’s all just ridiculous gossip.

Rumors started spreading rapidly and were quite damaging. Throughout 2008, Miley Cyrus had to constantly deny false stories, like one claiming a truck crashed into her car and another falsely reporting she’d died in an accident involving a drunk driver. Thankfully, none of it was true, and she’s doing just fine.

Back in 2007, someone falsely reported on Wikipedia that comedian Sinbad, whose full name is David Adkins, had passed away from a heart attack. A Wikipedia representative explained that the information was simply an act of vandalism. A spokesperson for Sinbad confirmed to Reuters that he was, in fact, alive and well, and enjoying life.

Will Ferrell didn’t worry much when a false rumor circulated in 2006 claiming he had died in a paragliding accident.

Ferrell’s publicist explained to TopMob in an email that they became aware of the rumor this morning and addressed it immediately. They didn’t bother trying to find where it started, as it was clearly fake.

In 2001, a false report spread by some Texas DJs caused widespread alarm, claiming Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had been in a car accident. The report stated Timberlake was in a coma and Spears had died. However, their representatives quickly denied the rumor, confirming to TopMob that both singers were perfectly healthy.

A popular conspiracy theory alleges that Paul McCartney of the Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a double. Paul McCartney himself has repeatedly dismissed this rumor, even jokingly addressing it in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. In the skit, the late comedian Chris Farley questioned him about the hoax, and McCartney playfully confirmed, “Yeah, I wasn’t really dead.”

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2026-05-21 17:04