The cruel prank Seven Sharp played on fans of the show

TVNZ host Toni Street has quit Seven Sharp. At least, that was the headline on the programme’s Facebook page yesterday afternoon.

The post told viewers: “We are sad to announce that Toni Street has made the decision to leave her job as host of Seven Sharp. ‘The long hours and time away from my family is too much,’ says the popular presenter.”

However, it’s not true. Rather, it’s part of an elaborate ploy to see if people actually read stories before sharing them.

Those that clicked the link to the ‘FULL STORY’ found themselves redirected to Seven Sharp’s website and the message: “This is a fake news story to test whether people read stories before sharing them.”

Fake news is a trending topic at the moment, following the US election, with allegations that fake news stories helped Trump win the election.

It’s a topic Tim Wilson is keen to explore further, putting Kiwis to the test.

And it seems many had fallen for the stunt, with hundreds of people reacting to the post and sending messages of support to Toni.

While it is true that Toni wasn't be on the show last night, her absence was only temporary. The popular presenter is in Sydney to interview Justin Timberlake.

The Facebook post has since been deleted. 

- Spy