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The man, the comedian, the legend, Jimmy Fallon is at it again. This time, the host of The Tonight Show turned to his social media fans and asked them to share their real-life plot twists. They’re hilarious, they’re surprising, and they’re as twisty as a Slytherin’s moral compass and British crinkle-crankle walls.

We’ve collected some of the best #RealLifePlotTwist Twitter tales for you to enjoy, dear Readers, so have a scroll through. Don’t forget to upvote the ones that caught your attention the most. Have your own plot twists to share from your own lives? We can’t wait to hear them! Make sure to leave a comment or two below for us to find.

The very best responses made it on YouTube. And there’s nothing like seeing something that you posted on social media making it to the big leagues to make you feel special inside. Bored Panda had a friendly chat with entertainment, pop culture, and celebrity expert Mike Sington about late-night TV shows like Fallon's and what we can all do to get our posts noticed and featured. Read on for his full insights.

Image credits: jimmyfallon

"The late-night shows have been adapting well to the now year-long pandemic, and continue to do so now that restrictions and lockdowns are being eased," Hollywood's Ultimate Insider Mike told Bored Panda that things are changing for the better in the entertainment industry now that there are multiple Covid vaccines being rolled out.

One great bit of news is that New York City will be allowing audiences of up to 100 in April! "I’m sure the shows will take advantage of that. My prediction is the late-night shows will be back to where they were pre-Covid this summer," Mike said.

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We also spoke to Mike about what people can do to get their tweets and social media posts noticed by Fallon, other hosts, and their teams. "All the shows have social media teams that are writing and monitoring content. To grab the late-night hosts’ attention, tag the show! They will see it, they monitor every post they are tagged in."

He continued: "If the post particularly stands out, they will forward it to the writing team for the show. Other than that, it’s just a matter of luck, or a story gaining traction on social media. The writers are monitoring social media in general, combing it for content to use. You never know when something will catch their eye, and a great story is likely to pop and catch their attention." So don't lose faith if your story didn't get noticed. Try again, keep at it, and soon enough Fallon himself will feature it!

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Some of us know Fallon only as a late-night TV show host. However, the New Yorker is much, much more than ‘just’ a comedian and entertainer. He has very creative aspirations. He’s a successful published author, having written such blockbuster hits like Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA, Everything Is MAMA, and This Is BABY.

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The reason why Fallon focuses on books for families with children is that he’s a father to two girls, Winnie and Franny. For Fallon, family is everything. However, he sometimes shows his love in weird ways, like forcing them to listen to holiday music all year round. It’s a surprise that his dog, Gary, hasn’t joined Rudolph’s crew yet!

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A former senior executive at NBCUniversal, entertainment expert Mike went in-depth with Bored Panda all about late-night TV shows in an earlier interview as well. We spoke to him about how the Covid-19 pandemic had changed things and how hosts like Fallon have risen to the challenge, adapting and overcoming the endless problems thrown at them.

Mike explained to Bored Panda that TV show hosts like Fallon use social media to get closer to fans. They engage them, connect to them, and lay the foundations for a relationship. “TV hosts are sourcing material directly from social media because it’s a great way to engage with their audiences and stay connected with them.”

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Kay blue
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would have done the same, spending a day playing with and spoiling a dog sounds much better than the normal work a school principal does.

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According to entertainment expert Mike, each of our favorite shows has a host of writers working on the material. So there’s no lack of content whatsoever. However, “nothing can top the personal, and often very funny, contributions of the fans themselves." The personal experiences that people provide can add that extra oomph that turns a good show into a great one. And fact really is stranger than fiction in some cases.

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic and the endless lockdowns, rules, and regulations have completely rewritten how we function in society. Its effect on the entertainment industry has been powerful as well. Hosts have been forced to adapt as the audiences they knew and loved left the studios and tuned in only remotely.

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However, Hollywood’s Ultimate Insider Mike believes that late-night hosts have done an amazing job at coming to terms with the new circumstances, no matter that some people believe that the energy of the shows themselves has changed. Fallon and the other hosts are, in Mike’s opinion, heroes who were forced to adapt to the new normal just like everyone else.

"I commend the late-night hosts for soldering on during this months-long lockdown. So many people are isolated and alone now, and they are welcome and familiar faces we can safely bring into our homes,” the expert shared.

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Spork420
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a similar thing happen in junior high. Kind of had a crush on a girl who was in a few of my classes. We barely even knew each other's names though. Ended up running into her at a wedding for some distant relative, and found out she was my second cousin. Awkward...

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“I would even say what they have been doing over the past several months has been somewhat heroic because it hasn’t been easy for them. They knew early on though, the need was there, and they stepped up to the challenge," Mike told Bored Panda.

Mike said that, in his personal and professional opinion, the material that the late-night hosts have been putting out has been top-notch. And an improvement over what we saw in pre-pandemic times. We have to agree with him on that! The hosts have been great.

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PhybreAwptic
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good thing you have some good karma built up. You've got a wig coming to you no doubt.

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Marianne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live near Munich and once met my sister with her 2 toddlers at the subway (30 mins from our hometown, she uses the subway like twice a year). She said "Oh great to see you. I hoped I might meet you to help me with the kids on our way home." I also meet family at random places at the Oktoberfest all the time. :D

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“I think their material has been better than ever. Over the past year, there’s been a wealth of material in the news to utilize. The energy is there, but it’s a bit different. They’ve had to adjust to trying times and having no audience, but have done so admirably.”

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It’s not just wishful thinking, though. Mike pointed out to us that the ratings for the shows have been doing great which means that the new approach had been working. “What they’re doing is paying off in the ratings which have been stronger than ever. They’ve been providing much-needed comfort and familiarity that people are craving now."

Which real-life plot twist was your favorite, dear Pandas? Did any of these genuinely catch you unaware (we know a lot of these got us!)? Got any fun stories with shocking surprises that you’d like to share with us and all of the other Pandas? Well, we can’t wait to hear what you have to say, so reach out to us and the Bored Panda community with a friendly comment.

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Wendillon
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still don't get the whole "old enough to serve your country but too young to have a beer" thing. If an 18 year old is mature enough to make major life decisions regarding family (getting married) and career (picking a major or joining the army) then they're mature enough to have a bloody drink.

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Spork420
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lived in Wisconsin. One miserable, cold January, my girlfriend and I escaped winter and took a road trip down to Florida. Living it up in the Florida Keys, and having the time of our lives. She had an another week or so off work, but I had to go back to my job. So we left paradise to go back to the cold wintery hell, only to have my boss tell me when I got back that work was slow, and to take an additional 2 weeks off work..

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Javiera Gotelli
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did anyone actually think a PANDEMIC would last less than a year??

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tuzdayschild
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most people still can't quite wrap their heads around it. Wouldn't believe the nonsense I hear.

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Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From a recently-vaccinated mother with a sick kid today, I heard "thank god it cannot be Covid". OF COURSE YES, because that's how it works; once vaccinated you have an anti-viral aura that protects your family.

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Brendan
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In January 2020, my co-worker organised an 'End of Covid' party for June 2020. Needless to say, the party was cancelled.

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chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At the beginning of the pandemic, Covid-19 was often compared to the Spanish flu, and that pandemic took about 2 years.

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Dillon Hughes
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If everyone was responsible and isolated for a month it would be over. Crovidiots...

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What's In Your Head?
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If everyone woke up and started to actually THINK for a month, it would be over. It's all a sick game.

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Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not a plot twist if the "main" part is 2weeks and after the twist it's 50+.

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Shelby P
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one was told (by a credible source) that the pandemic would last only 2 weeks. Most scientists said it was going to upwards of 18 months before we'd see a vaccine and that if we all worked hard and physically distanced ourselves we might be able to ride out the worst of it.

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VeryDarkMatter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gave a friend a book as birthday-gift - Stephen King's The Stand. In the story a flu-virus kills 98% of humankind. Well, 1week later we heard about Covid19 for the first time.

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No.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i still remember the old days when everyone turned covid into a joke in school. Oh, those good times

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Leslie Tollefson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My poor SIL is in the same boat. She got it early last year - not a super bad case, but she felt crappy for a couple weeks. And is STILL not better a year later - chronic, debilitating fatigue; allergies to EVERYTHING and stuff she was never allergic to before. It's been terrible to watch, but fascinating at the same time that the same organism can cause such radically different reactions.

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

.. and fort least the next 2 years or more ..do not hold your breath waiting, just move with what we must do.

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Doris Bennett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Deadly plaques in history books usually lasted for way more than 2+ years! NOoooooo!

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aurora Rodriguez
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is going no where humanity is gonna be cra cra and I mean it

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The Cute Cat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the 1918 pandemi only getting low on 1921.. It is 2 years.. and the case is actually still happen.. I believe that is the same with covid-19. So (if vaccination goes well) we will start normal life in 3rd or 4th quarter of 2021.. Sorry.. It is just the fact

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Leeh Colorada
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, no. My government acts like it's over. Overcrowded hospitals? Weekend lockdown. People diyng? There's no need to close schools.

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Corey Brown
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But the chosen one said it would go away when it warmed up.

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