After a seven-year break from our screens, the chaotic and beloved animated series The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball has made its triumphant return to Cartoon Network, bringing with it a fresh wave of pranks and pandemonium.
What Makes the UK Chuckle?
The show's comeback was marked by new research into the nation's sense of humour. A poll of 2,000 UK adults uncovered the things that are guaranteed to provoke laughter, regardless of age. Topping the list are watching people trip over, mischievous pranks, and funny animal videos.
The study found that 22% of Brits can't suppress a giggle when a bird chooses an unfortunate moment to relieve itself on someone's head. Other comedy gold includes kids saying the funniest things and toddlers accidentally using a naughty word. Classic toilet humour still works for 17% of the population, while 12% find someone talking in their sleep or snoring loudly to be particularly hilarious.
The Nation's Favourite Pranks
When it comes to pulling a fast one, Brits have their favourites. The research, commissioned by Cartoon Network, detailed the top pranks that have the country laughing.
The top 10 pranks in the UK are:
- Hiding behind a door to jump out at someone (15%)
- Telling someone a fake fact with confidence (13%)
- Hiding a small speaker and playing random sounds like cat meows (13%)
- Putting a whoopee cushion under someone’s seat
- Changing someone’s ringtone to something absurd
- Putting googly eyes on everything in the fridge
- Changing your voice on a phone call
- Putting a fake spider somewhere
- Swapping sugar with salt
- Sending someone on a fool's errand for a 'long stand' or 'tartan paint'
Laughter as the Best Medicine
The study provided a wider snapshot of the British sense of humour. It revealed that the average Brit laughs out loud three times on a typical day. However, 36% admit they often laugh at things they probably shouldn't, and over a third confess to having done something so silly it felt like it belonged in a cartoon episode.
An overwhelming 85% of those surveyed believe that laughter is the best medicine, with TV shows, family, and pets providing the biggest guffaws. Nearly half (48%) think adults should be more childlike, embracing silliness and harmless pranks.
British comedian and professor of laughter, Dr. Oliver Double, who collaborated on the project, commented on the findings. "Our nation’s favourite jokes and pranks show we’re a bunch of good-humoured pranksters," he said. "From inventive pranks to witty one-liners, our humour thrives on quick thinking, surprise, mischief and clever wordplay. That’s why shows like Gumball land so well, it’s full of cheeky antics, playful silliness, and wonderfully absurd unpredictability."
Monika Oomen, spokesperson for Kids EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery, added: "This research confirms what we’ve always known - families love to laugh together. Gumball, packed with fast-paced chaos, and sheer unpredictability, brings generations together in one gloriously weird comic universe, often around the comedy of everyday chaos."
New episodes of The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, featuring Gumball, Darwin, and Anais, air daily on Cartoon Network from 7 AM, honouring classic British pranks like the whoopee cushion and reminding us all not to take life too seriously.
