The British Tea Time Alarm, Explained

All over the world, Brits are known for their love of a good cup of tea. It’s thought that over 100 million cups are consumed across the UK each day, which equates to an average of two or three brews each. But the British are also known for their dry sense of humour, hence TikTok’s latest prank, which has convinced Americans we have a daily alarm reminding people to boil the kettle.

What Is The Tea Time Alarm?

The tea time alarm is a joke cooked up by TikTokers, claiming that every day in the UK, an alarm goes off at 4pm. As the story goes, at that time every citizen must drink a cup of tea, and failure to do so results in a fine from the government. There are over 18 million posts on Instagram and four million on TikTok under the hashtag #teatime, with creators having fun making up stories about a time they got caught out, and others sharing guides to the rule.

Even big brands are getting involved, with Fortnum & Mason, John Lewis and Boots all posting tongue-in-cheek videos. And now the UK Government has weighed in too: a video shared on its official TikTok account shows someone pouring a cup of tea, with text overlaid that reads: ‘We’re making changes to the tea time alarm. Make sure you check gov.uk for updates.’

One particularly popular video sees Capital FM radio presenter Niall Gray rushing to grab a cup after the tea alarm goes off during his show. Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard also filmed a sketch for This Morning in which the pair were nearly caught out by the alarm.

@niall.gray Here’s what happens when the tea time alarm goes off live on the radio #teatimealarm #teaalarm #teatime ♬ original sound – Niall Gray

A video shared on the @historic.royal.palaces account, meanwhile, has amassed almost 3 million views, showing a Beefeater ringing a bell at the venue. ‘So the tea time alarm really is real?!’ asks @BrandyLeigh in one of the video’s top comments.

Is It Real?

Of course Brits know the tea time alarm is nothing more than a mass prank, but the scale of the joke has successfully fooled some Americans. ‘What does it actually sound like?’, mused one user, while another concerned tourist asked whether it was obligatory to take part in afternoon tea. 

Nonetheless, 4pm is undoubtedly one of the most popular times for a cuppa. And, indeed, there is truth to the concept of tea time, a custom which dates back hundreds of years to the 19th century, when the Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria, would invite her friends round to enjoy tea and cake in the afternoons, to fill those hungry hours between lunch and dinner.