It’s a special time of year – no it’s not Christmas, it’s Ed Balls Day!
On 28 April 2011, then Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls typed his own name into Twitter, trying to search for an article about himself. However, he accidentally tweeted out his name, rather than searching for it.
After tweeting his name, he didn’t delete it, and every year since, Twitter users have celebrated the gaffe on April 28.
Mr Balls, who was the MP for Normanton from 2005 to 2010 and MP for Morley and Outwood from 2010 to 2015, is now in on the joke, and in recent years has often tweeted about his mishap back in 2011. In 2020, Ed Balls taught children about the volume of balls on Ed Balls day through BBC Bitesize, with schools closed due to the Coronavirus.
Ed Balls Day is also often used as a chance for people to relive some of Ed Balls’ most famous moments. Apart from being a former Shadow Chancellor, Mr Balls has also served as the chairman of Norwich City FC and has appeared in multiple TV shows and documentaries.
Perhaps Mr Balls’ most famous TV appearance was when he danced to Gangman Style on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 with Katya Jones, a moment that even got put up for a BAFTA award.
However you are celebrating Ed Balls Day, enjoy!
Photo Credit: Chatham House via Flickr under licence (CC BY 2.0)
