LadBaby autobiography: pranks, sausage rolls, death threats and blackmail

The antics of Nottingham social media stars LadBaby and LadBaby Mum have millions of followers around the world in stitches. Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne shot to fame after a video of him turning a toolbox into his son's lunchbox went viral.

Since then the couple have had a record-breaking five Christmas number ones, have been crowned Celebrity Mum and Dad of the Year and have had six best-selling children's books, not to mention eating sausage rolls with Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran slipping into their DMs.

If life couldn't get any crazier, their autobiography Our LadBaby Journey: Success, Sacrifice and Sausage Rolls is published on November 7 with a book signing in Nottingham's Waterstones the following day.

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Mark, who is Nottingham born and bred, says: "We are still pinching ourselves. When I think of autobiographies I think of people in their 80s that have served in wars and have got all these amazing memories. It feels very surreal we've got one but I think we have had a pretty crazy eight years with the things we've done online, the Christmas songs, the children's books. It's a really nice opportunity for everyone who has seen LadBaby or LadBaby Mum to know a little bit more about Mark and Rox."

Nottingham's biggest wind-up merchants are well known for pranking each other online. Rox says: "We've had a lot of fun. The videos we've made, you might see online we're silly and jokey but actually they've got us through a bad parenting phase or a bad day. We've laughed at the end of it and we're told a lot of people who watch our videos, it's given them a break from their bad day, or something that's happened or got them through Covid."

The 40-year-old mum of Phoenix, eight, and Kobe, six, adds: "My most memorable one that I love is where I put my face on Mark's car for Valentine's Day and everyone to this day still comes up to me and goes 'I can't believe you did that, I love that.' That will always be my favourite because it annoyed him so much."

Mark, 37, adds: "I wasn't so much of a fan of it. I wasn't best pleased with her pretending to cut the wi-fi off when I was going for Oasis tickets. The one I love is when I put a skip outside of our house and filled it with water and made it into a swimming pool."

Some of the tales are hilarious but while they want the book to give fans "a really good laugh" about their crazy ride, it's not all fun and frolics. From Mark's bullying at school to just having £20 a week for food and nappies when their first son was born, there have been plenty of hardships to overcome before becoming social media stars.

Mark, a former graphic designer, hopes anyone reading their story will take heart that it is possible to overcome adversity. "I think so many people go through difficult times in life and might still be struggling financially or getting bullied whether it be at work or at school. It's nice to be honest and share those experiences so people know they're not alone.

"We've done a hell of a lot over the last few years, we've sung songs with Elton John but we've still faced a lot of those struggles that so many people do. If someone reads our book and finds a bit of comfort in the fact that we went through those things and we've come out the other side and are doing well now that's hopefully quite nice for people to be able to relate to."

London-born Rox, who worked as an art director in advertising before becoming a mum, adds: "When we went through these things we felt very alone and you don't forget those feelings and I think that's why it's so important to share that."

As they delve into the darker side of internet fame, the book gives them an opportunity to put the record straight on the hate that plunged their lives into turmoil. Going way beyond the usual trolling, there were death threats and a blackmail attempt.

They never expected a backlash when they had a chain of Christmas number one sausage roll songs to raise funds and awareness for food banks charity, the Trussell Trust. But trolls accusing them of pocketing charity money not only tainted the celebration, it left them fearing for their safety after terrifying threats to kill.

"It was the worst time of my life," says Mark. "There were so many stories about the charity songs and how we were profiting from these songs and taking the money and it wasn't going where it should and that's hurt us more than anything as it just wasn't true. When 9.3m people in the UK are below the poverty line, the fact that people thought we were somehow taking that money or profiting from it, is heartbreaking."

Rox says: "Mark bore the brunt of that - he tried to protect us a lot from the things that were happening. It was hell, it was hard, but we're examples of resilience, of pushing through, of getting help. Notts Police were fantastic. Trussell helped. We have a great community around us and it's really important to know that."

The abuse stopped Mark, a lifelong Nottingham Forest supporter, from going to matches. "I've had a season ticket since I was about five or six and this is the first season I haven't had one - it became too difficult to go whether it be people stopping me to talk or the abuse I received. It's sad and we're doing so well this season."

The book is the first time the couple have publicly spoken out about a video circulating in September 2022, which appeared to show Mark groping a mystery woman's bottom in a bar. The book tells how he'd previously received messages asking for £5,000, then £10,000 or the video would be leaked. As press reports speculated about their marriage, they kept silent... until now.

They say it was fake. Rox says: "I love Mark and Mark loves me. We are a tight unit and I think it's really important to fight trolls, to fight fake news. This book has all of these answers in there and it's about telling people our truth and telling the actual real story. It's time to clear up all of that and move on. We're very proud of what we've achieved and that shouldn't be overshadowed by all of this fake news.

"When LadBaby took off we became a mum and dad and we grew up and we have got closer. A lot of people say 'how do you put up with him and how does he put up with you? You two are a nightmare' and I think the reality is we have got through some of hardest moments of our lives together and have been positive about it and have still gone out and done good."

LadBaby started with Mark blogging as a way of making dad friends while Rox was expecting their first child. Since then the couple have amassed 13 million followers across all their social media channels including Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

They've got a sausage roll board game out just in time for Christmas. What else will they say famous catchphrase "yes mate" to? How about reality TV like I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!?

Mark says: "We've done some crazy things. If an opportunity comes up and it feels like fun we'll go for it. I've been bookies' odds before [for I'm A Celebrity] but they have never officially offered us the opportunity for the jungle or Strictly."

Rox says: "A lot of people have said to me Rox with that dancing you should get on Strictly or Dancing with the Stars. I love a bit of dancing. I would like to do a challenge one, I don't think I'd be so good in the jungle. I think it would be fun."

Fans have called for them to have their own reality TV series. No so much Keeping Up with the Kardashians but Laugh Along with LadBaby. "It would be carnage wouldn't it?" laughs Rox.

"It would be watching us doing the school run, taking the bins out and doing the food shop. If people want to see me cooking sausage rolls then let's make it happen," says Mark.