A prankster dad was branded "tone deaf" after convincing his terrified fiancee they were going to die from a " Russian attack" - by playing a fake emergency TV broadcast.
Becca Redhead had finished bathing three-year-old Louie Coldicutt on Saturday evening when she heard a loud warning ordering her to "prepare for a nuclear strike".
Footage shot by 32-year-old fiance Wayne Coldicutt shows her rush downstairs in pure terror before quickly calling her mum to yell "we're getting attacked".
On the TV, which lit the living room bright red, a BBC and Government-branded announcement headlined "emergency broadcast" tells them to be prepared to shelter for 14 days after the strike.
The unnervingly monotone voice warns the fallout "will cause radiation sickness, followed by death" and advises them to "build an inner refuge away from windows and doors".
She reads the messages to mum Ann Redhead, 61, and emphasises "this isn't a joke" - but then Ann turns on her TV and reveals the BBC aren't showing an emergency broadcast at all.
The clip has attracted criticism, with some branding it "tone-deaf" due to the current war in Ukraine, but Wayne insists the conflict wasn't in his mind when he saw the broadcast video on YouTube.
Warehouse operative Wayne says he noticed a mock video titled UK Emergency Alert - Nuclear Attack Warning on YouTube and hatched the plan to win their "ongoing prank war".
The smug dad says he's proud he managed not to laugh and found it hilarious - but he's relieved Becca immediately saw the funny side too.
She says she genuinely thought the Russians were coming and they were going to die, and feels like she's now "experienced the start of World War Three first-hand".
Becca, from Kirkdale, Merseyside, said: "He's lucky to still be alive, trust me. He nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought the Russians were coming.
"I can hand-on-heart say I feel like I've lived through the beginning of a world war. That's how it felt. It felt real.
"When I was running down stairs with Louie, I was in slow motion. I thought we were going to die.
"I thought 'I've got to phone my mum'. She only lives over the road but I was scared to run over. She's quite a dramatic person, like you can see I am, but she was quite calm on the phone.
"I told her it wasn't a joke because Wayne was so convincing. Usually he laughs but he looked scared.
"When she told me there was nothing on the BBC and I turned to see Wayne laughing. Now I don't trust him. When I smiled at the end it was out of relief that we weren't getting attacked.
"I probably won't believe it if it happens for real now. I'll be the calmest person in Liverpool because I've already done it now. Been there, done that.
"I've watched it over and over because I keep laughing at myself. I say I'm not that dramatic, but I'm pathetically dramatic. Lots of people have said that's how they'd react too though.
"I'll try and get him back with a prank but I don't think anything can top him creating World War Three."
Becca even sent a photo of the TV screen to her brother, who was at the Goodison Park footage stadium watching Everton vs Manchester City and he believed it too.
She says he was 'two minutes away' from telling fans and causing mass panic.
However, Wayne says the prank went perfectly and he's glad so many people found it as funny as he has, despite the criticism.
The video, posted by Becca's brother Alan Redhead, has been liked and retweeted more than 20,000 times, with users split on their opinion of whether it was funny or not.
One said: "There would be a nuclear fallout in my house if I done that."
Another added: "Love the priorities, ring mum first and forget about the sandbags and grub."
One more commented: "Ahahaha I'm crying laughing here lad."
However some users thought the prank was insensitive and not funny at all.
A user said: "Look, I do see the humour in this. If you did this any other time, it would be hilarious.. but doing something like this right now is just really tone-deaf.
"There's people in Ukraine, for whom these messages on their TV are real. Spare them a thought."
Another added: "This is really unfunny, with what is happening being used as a punchline to an unfunny gag. Have a meeting with yourself."
