Do British people actually set an alarm to drink tea? Americans are losing their minds over bizarre videos

The Brits are compelling their American counterparts to believe in what they describe as their frequent tea-time calls and many of them have even fallen for the prank. The UK is known for its obsession with tea, with the British treating life patiently, one sip at a time. The Brits are not shying away from expressing their love for the traditional caffeinated beverage online by posting about their hyped “tea alarms” so much so that it caught the attention of many US content creators, including Mary—who goes by @simplymaryuk on TikTok—and she was intrigued as to if it was a genuine common practice among tea lovers in the UK.

“Now that I found myself on the British side of TikTok, I need to know the truth. I'm probably going to sound like the biggest idiot, but I have been scrolling and I have been seeing conflicting stories. What's the deal with the tea-time alarms?” Mary asked her 1.1 million viewers whether the lifestyle choice was a “real thing.” The mother of four, who was recording herself casually while applying makeup, was confused after seeing multiple videos where Brits humorously shared their tea-time alarm stories. In many such videos, tea fans created some unimaginably serious moments of alarms setting off to satisfy their tea cravings, sparking a laugh riot.

Among many “tea alarm” videos, one shared by UK presenter, Niall Gray (@niall.gray on TikTok) showed a siren-like blaring at the radio station, where he works. Immediately, his co-host was seen running to the other far end of the studio to grab two hot cups of tea. As they both took a sip of tea, the alarm was stopped. Welcoming the listeners tuning into the radio station, Niall announced, “Good afternoon. Look, just as the tea-time alarm has gone off, what time was that? But look, I hope you are having a lovely afternoon then, whatever you're up to with your tea time. Where are you, by the way? Have you got your flask in hand? Are you in the middle of a café or a coffee shop this afternoon?”

In another similar video, content creator Lisa (@lisa.fretwell3) reshared how an official working for the Tower of London treats the bell ringing as his time to have his tea. Moreover, the keeper of the tower, immediately after ringing the bell, went inside to make his tea. He also emphasized how the endeared caffeinated beverage helps him keep going throughout the day. Fascinated by the Brits’ obsession with tea, Mary asked, “Is it just a big joke on us Americans? Is it a real thing? Is it a big fat joke? Please, somebody spill the tea.”

After Mary’s footage went viral, many chimed in with their funny replies. Among them, @fifisads87 jokingly wrote, “Brit here. Born and bred Londoner. I'm Muslim and currently taking part in Ramadan. I've had to pay a tea-time exemption fee for this month due to fasting.” “Me and a group of friends started putting Irn Bru in our teacups as an act of rebellion, and we got caught just before Christmas by the tea monitors. I’ve spent a month in isolation, forced to pack tea bag boxes for the English, and I have to dip an electronic tea monitor in my cup every day for a year now,” @0_sms_0 added. “No, babe I wish it was fake! But it’s actually such a lovely thing,” remarked @rochellerayeanthony, claiming tea-time is indeed real.

You can follow Mary (@simplymaryuk), Niall Gray (@niall.gray), and Lisa (@lisa.fretwell3) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.