Moon landings, secret alien bases, and even a race of shapeshifting reptiles living in plain sight. It’s time to dive into the world of the conspiracy theories that are believed by millions worldwide.
While some theories seem ridiculous, others could easily convince you that there is some truth there. Whichever side of the conspiracy fence you sit on there’s no denying that conspiracy theories can seriously spark debate.
Taking to the depths of the Internet where we scoured Reddit forums, TikTok channels and more, we found some of the most fiercely debated conspiracy theories out there. Believe us when we say there are some interesting stories to be found.
After hours spent scrolling TikTok (for research purposes only of course), we found that, on the app, #ConspiracyTikTok has 273,000 videos associated with it. Add in the other variations on conspiracy hashtags and we’re easily into the millions of posts worldwide.
Using our Internet prowess to gather the most commonly discussed theories we then surveyed 2,000 UK adults, asking which ones they’re familiar with and, more importantly, which ones they believe.
Among other things we found that alien conspiracies aren’t just for the Americans (many Brits are pretty certain they not only exist but ‘live among us’ too), the cost-of-living crisis is simply a plot to control us all according to some, and apparently there are countless others still not convinced Princess Diana’s death was a tragic accident.
So, strap yourself in because here comes a deep dive into the weird and wonderful world of conspiracy theories. Oh, and spoiler alert, nearly half of us are buying into these wild ideas.
What the TikTok experts say.
Perhaps the corner of the Internet where conspiracy theories are most rife is on TikTok. Explainer videos and content from online sleuths revealing new “evidence” are up into the millions, and they’re getting more views daily.
As part of our research, we wanted to find what the most hotly debated conspiracy theories are using hashtag data from TikTok to tell us.
The idea that Area 51 is home to multiple alien species was found to be the most talked about conspiracy theory on TikTok by a significant margin.
Our research found 480,000 posts tagged with #Area51, including this one showing that Area 51 is home to a portal to another dimension.
The next most popular theory was that we’ve already made contact with aliens, and this is being hidden from us, with 87,100 videos tagged with this. Still a large volume but totally overshadowed by the Area 51 obsession.
Want to decide for yourself if there really is intelligent life out there? Check out this “UFO” spotted over China video.
In third place is the strange notion that there is a secret race of reptile humanoid hybrids inhabiting planet Earth. Oh, and did we mention they can apparently shapeshift too?
Scrolling through TikTok you will find thousands of videos claiming various A-listers to be part of the lizard race – everyone from Miley Cyrus to members of the Royal Family.
This video even claims to show hard evidence that Elvis Presley was a reptilian.
Most talked about conspiracy theories on TikTok:
- Area 51 is home to lots of aliens – 480,000 posts
- Humans have made contact with aliens, and this is being hidden from the public – 87,100
- Reptilian humanoids inhabit earth and take up positions of power – 54,600 posts
- The earth is flat – 18,000 posts
- The government releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere known as ‘chem trains’ – 13,800 posts
- The moon landing was fake – 8,400 posts
- Predictive programming is manipulated to reference future events – 5,800 posts
- The Illuminati controls everything – 4,300 posts
- British authorities had a hand in the death of Diana – 1,900 posts
- Michael Jackson is still alive – 812 posts
Paranoid or “plugged-in”?
You may be forgiven for thinking farfetched conspiracy theories are reserved for the more paranoid among us, but more than 32.4million (48%) Brits believed at least one of the 20 theories we presented them with in our survey.
Considering these theories included the earth is flat, climate change isn’t real, and musicians are controlling us through subliminal messages... it may be time to start questioning our friends.
London has been found to be the conspiracy capital of the UK, where 53% of residents believed at least one of the 20 theories we presented them with.
Meanwhile, north of the border sceptical Scots are much less likely to put too much stock in conspiracy theories. In Edinburgh and Glasgow, 64% and 60% respectively didn’t believe any of the theories in our survey at all – what cynics eh!
However, the number one most believed theory isn’t so much science-fiction as it is a frequently debated topic in history. Despite not having much noise on TikTok, the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone when assassinating JFK came out as the conspiracy theory most people believed in our survey, with 15% saying they believe this to be totally true.
What the conspiracists say about JFK.
Digging into the assassination of JFK quickly leads you down a deep rabbit hole. Probably the most cited theory is that the official perpetrator, Lee Harvey Oswald, did not in fact act alone and there were multiple gunmen involved in the tragic murder.
Alongside the multiple shooter theory there is also talk of Mafia involvement, a government cover up and Kennedy’s stances on civil rights leading to powerful groups wanting to remove him from power.
Some claims certainly have more ‘evidence’ than others, but when you go deeper down the rabbit hole, that’s when the true extent of Internet conspiracies comes to life.
Aside from the slightly more logical theories, some put the former President’s assassination down to time travel, aliens, and even a magical curse that has been put on the Kennedy family.
What makes Brits say: “we believe!”?
For those aged 45 and upwards, the theory that Lee Harvey Oswald had company in his assassination of JFK was consistently the one that most believed in our survey.
Those aged 18-24 seem much more interested in close encounters of the third kind, with 15% believing we’ve made contact with aliens, and it has been covered up – perhaps influenced by the high volume of TikTok content on this topic. Sticking in the realm of space, 25-34-year-olds are most likely to believe the moon landing was faked.
Not too far behind the JFK stories is a theory that hits much closer to home: the death of Princess Diana. This tragic accident is one that sticks in the minds of those from a certain generation. Those aged 35-44 in our survey were most likely to believe this theory, and will have been aged between 8 and 17 at the time of the incident.
Although, there are millions who believe the death of the People’s Princess was no accident at all – 13% firmly believe the UK Government had a hand in this.
We then make a turn towards the extra-terrestrial to make up the rest of the top five most-believed theories, including the classic fake moon landing (12%), humans have made contact with aliens and this is being hidden from the public (10%) and Area 51 is home to lots of aliens (7%).
The top ten theories that most people believe:
- Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in killing JFK (15%)
- The British authorities had a hand in the death of Princess Diana (13%)
- The moon landing was fake (12%)
- Humans have made contact with aliens, and this is being hidden from the public (10%
- Area 51 is home to lots of aliens (7%)
- The cost-of-living crisis is a government plot to control the public (6.5%)
- Some bands and musicians deliver subliminal messages in their songs (6%)
- The Illuminati controls everything (5.5%)
- Climate change isn't real (5%)
- The Government is releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere that leave visible plumes (chemtrails) (4%)
Perhaps owing to age, theories around JFK and Princess Diana didn’t rank quite as highly when it came to the number of people who have heard the theory before, nor did they have too much of a presence on TikTok.
Topping the list of theories the most people have heard of is fake moon landings (63%), flat earth (62%) and the idea that climate change isn’t actually real (54%).
The top ten conspiracy theories most people have heard of:
- The moon landing was fake (63%)
- The earth is flat (62%)
- Climate change isn't real (54%)
- The British authorities had a hand in the death of Princess Diana (50%)
- Area 51 is home to lots of aliens (49%)
- Humans have made contact with aliens, and this is being hidden from the public (45%)
- The Illuminati controls everything (43%)
- Covid vaccinations include microchips to track us (41%)
- 5G is making people sick, including causing Covid (37.5%)
- Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in killing JFK (37%)
Men are more likely to delve into conspiracies that women.
It turns out, 52% of men are likely to believe conspiracy theories versus 45% of women.
When it comes to our most popular conspiracy on JFK, men are five percentage points more likely than women to believe this (18% vs. 13%), and three percentage points more likely than the national average (15%).
Not only that, but UK men also aren’t entirely convinced that one small step for man was in fact a huge step for mankind. While 12% nationwide believe the moon landing was faked, this increases to 13% among men and decreases to 10.5% among women.
Conspiracies and the battle to save planet Earth.
Okay, it’s time to call Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. Despite significant campaigning, litres of orange paint on beloved artwork, and endless speeches to those in power (oh, and the fact the planet is literally getting hotter), an estimated 3.3million people across the country are bought into the conspiracy theory that climate change isn’t real.
Diving into the forums there is endless talk that climate change is simply a ploy from the Government to keep us all under control. Just something to think about next time you’re popping something into your recycling bin…
And dare we venture into the realm of flat Earth theories? Well, we’ve come this far, haven’t we?
Worryingly, three in everyone hundred people hold true that the Earth is in fact not a globe shape and is indeed flat. So-called “flat-earthers” defy scientific evidence to protest that there is an edge to the Earth, often depicted as an ice-wall much like in Antarctica (or in Games of Thrones...), which circles the Earth to keep us from falling off.
Also included in the flat Earth theory is that the sun and moon are in fact much smaller than the scientists would have us believe, and they simply move around in circles over the flat Earth.
What’s more, some believe that neither gravity nor outer space actually exist at all and any evidence to the contrary has been fabricated. It’s quite a claim!
Our Conclusion
Do you believe? We’re curious to know what you think the nation needs to wake up to, so be sure to let us know what you think on X, tagging @mrqbingo.
While some theories are notably farfetched, others can start to seem believable if you spend enough time with the evidence. That said, it can be easy to fall quite far down the rabbit hole and find yourself spending hours of your time researching increasingly obscure theories.
If you find you’ve a little too deep down the rabbit hole and you need some light relief, be sure to check out some of our online games.
Our Research Sources & Methodology
- We carried out initial desk research using TikTok, Reddit and various other online forums to find commonly discussed conspiracy theories
- Building a long list, we found the most used TikTok hashtags for each theory and totalled how many videos there were on each hashtag
- Survey of 2,000 people conducted in June 2024.
- Data split by respondent age, gender and nearest city.
