Bizarre new update to Joe Lycett’s announcement that he has become a dad

Lycett gave an unusual shoutout to one particular company in the post...

Over the weekend, the comedian shared a post on Instagram in which he revealed he and his partner had welcomed a baby boy.

Lycett shared a picture of himself cradling his son, and thanked staff at Birmingham Women's hospital for "masterfully welcoming alittle boy into the world, who happens to be my son."

The caption for the post continued: "The care and compassion his mum and he received was exceptional; from the antenatal classes, incredible midwives, consultants, doctors, nurses and the ongoing care in the community. We also loved their baked potatoes. Birmingham is so lucky to have them and I will be forever grateful for everything they’ve done.

"I am LOVING being a dad but sadly I think this now means I can’t get out of going on Rob and Josh’s fucking podcast."

Lycett then finished the caption by writing: "We will not be taking any press requests about this as we have already sold the rights to the first family picture to Autotrader."

The specific mention of Autotrader in the post had caught some people's attention, with the car company commenting: "Congratulations again Joe! We can't wait to publish the photos of Mini Cooper Lycett."

There's since been a bizarre new update from the company, which has announced it is launching a digital family photo project on its website, where parents can share photos of their family life.

In a post on social media, they wrote: "@joelycett has announced we’re now in the family photo business! While we usually trade in cars, we couldn’t resist a little side hustle.

"Coming soon: the most exclusive family photo album around…"

The company has also given a statement about the new venture, telling the MailOnline: "After our news became public knowledge, we've had to move quickly to keep up with the demand and are pleased to announce the launch of our Family Photo Gallery. 

"What better way to show off your new pride and joy than on a platform that has over 80 million visitors each month. We hope everyone enjoys the photos and are inspired to browse for a new car while they're with us."

As a man who has become famous over recent years for his stunts and pranks - such as changing his name to Hugo Boss, 'shredding £10,000' because of David Beckham's World Cup deal, trolling Liz Truss live on the BBC, and duping the British media into covering fake news stories - Lycett's fatherhood post had aroused suspicion from some.

Commenting, one person wrote: "I never know what’s real and what’s not when Lycett is involved."

Another said: "Congratulations!! (unless this is an elaborate prank in which case, congratulations!)"

A third joked: "I can't tell if this is satire but I'm here for it either way."

The news of Autotrader's unexpected forray into the world of family photos is sure to prompt even more people to wonder if all is really as it seems.