No, UK’s Boris Johnson didn’t say Covid-19 pandemic was a lie – fake BBC headline

A graphic circulating on social media in South Africa claims that the UK’s former prime minister Boris Johnson has denied the existence of the disease Covid-19. The graphic includes the logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and reads “Breaking: Boris Comes Clean”. 

Below a photo of Johnson it quotes him as saying: “There was no pandemic, we were lying to you throughout. We fiddled the figures, ruined your lives and destroyed the economy. All to gain draconian powers that we can use to inflict a lifetime of control and tyranny over you all.”

The graphic has appeared in various Twitter posts, here, here and here, in one instance receiving thousands of likes. 

This admission by a former head of government would confirm many of the fears and conspiracy theories that have circulated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. But is it true?

No evidence of quote

The posts do not include any links or information on where and when Johnson is meant to have said this. This is often a red flag on social media that a quote has been fabricated.

And we found no evidence of the quote on the BBC’s website or verified social media accounts. In fact, the quote cannot be found online outside of the graphic.

Although Johnson’s government was criticised for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is no evidence that he made this statement, or that the BBC published a piece containing this quote. 

A substantial amount of misinformation around Covid-19 has circulated online since the pandemic began. Versions of the idea that the pandemic does not exist, and never did, have been debunked in multiple fact-checks.