Tiktok star Lauren Whelan was pranked by her friends after receiving an antigen test before the pilot concert at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin last Saturday.
Fellow TikTokers Ryan Mar and Shauna Davitt asked their friend to prank call Lauren to tell her that the antigen test she had taken earlier in the day was, in fact, faulty and she was COVID positive.
In the video, a friend of the TikTokers pretends to be calling from the HSE to inform the star that she must leave the concert immediately.
She said, “Lauren, this is Rachel Keane. I’m calling from the HSE.”
Lauren initially seems very surprised and sceptical about the call.
The prank continued: “Lauren, you did a rapid antigen test earlier on. Can I just confirm your date of birth for a second?"
After confirming her date of birth over the phone, the prankster informs Lauren that she has COVID.
She said: “Yeah, look, I’m very sorry to tell you Lauren, but unfortunately, your antigen test, a few of them have been faulty, and yours is actually after coming back positive, so I’m really sorry.
“Can I ask you where you are at the moment?”
Lauren then grows more suspicious of the caller as she says: "Can I ask like how did you get my number?”
The caller remained calm and answered the question without delay.
She said: “Well, as part of the HSE, we have the contact details for everybody that had to book.
“I really am sorry I do have to apologise. Unfortunately, it’s happened to a few people now today.
“So, can I ask you if you are at the concert, you do need to go home immediately and isolate for 14 days, and somebody from the HSE will be in contact with you very shortly. I’m very sorry.”
Lauren, not sure of what to say, agrees with the caller.
The call continued: “Somebody from contact tracing will be in touch very shortly a swab then in another five days.”
Immediately after the call had ended, TikToker Shauna Davitt FaceTimed Lauren.
She said: “Where are you?”
Lauren told her she was in her hotel room and said: “Shauna, I just got a call from like a random number saying that my antigen test was faulty and I actually am positive.”
She added: “I don't know if it’s real. Like that could be someone who's just gotten my number and like I don't know.”
The prank went on as people in the group began asking did Lauren have COVID and telling her that it was all over the radio that people had tested positive before the concert.
Ryan Mar said: “Sure the taxi driver was saying that a few came back positive. It’s all over the radio.”
Lauren then showed her frustration at the situation and said, “Yeah, but if they came back positive fine, but not that some of them were faulty."
She added: “I got a negative result, and she’s after ringing me saying, well, it's actually positive, sorry.”
Shauna then decided Lauren had been put through enough stress and said, "What did she sound like? Did she sound like this?” as she handed the phone to the prank caller.
The caller then said: “Hello, this is Rachel from the HSE. Hi Lauren.”
Lauren immediately realised that she had been pranked and said, “F***ing hell, I knew it was bull****.”
Seeing the funny side of the prank, she laughed and admitted that the caller did sound very professional.
