Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life

    French Woman's Viral Campaign To Find Australian Father Of Her Unborn Baby Was A Hoax

    Natalie Amyot's claim that she fell pregnant in Queensland was all part of a marketing stunt

    By Marie Claire
    Published 1 September 2015 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Queensland
    Queensland
    (Image credit: Facebook/Natalie Amyot)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Natalie Amyot's claim that she fell pregnant in Queensland was all part of a marketing stunt

    A viral video launched by young woman from Paris to find an Australian man she had a one-night stand with turned out to be a hoax.

    The story went that Natalie Amyot met the Aussie on the last night of her three-month trip Down Under and she claimed it was “love at first sight”:

    “I met a really cute guy and, for me, it was love at first sight and we had a beautiful night.”

    She flew back to France the next day but alas lost her phone with his number on it. Six weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant and went back to Australia to try and track down the father of her unborn child.

    Only problem was she didn’t know anything about him – where he lived, where he worked, not even his name.

    Turns out the whole thing was a marketing scam created by Nigel Lucas, owner of a holiday company in Mooloolaba - the location of the fake insemination.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Lucas created the video in an attempt to put the beach town on the map and didn't mind ruffling a few feathers:

    "The benefits of how it will benefit the cafe owners and hoteliers will far outstrip any negatives the campaign will generate," he told HuffPost Australia.

    "I understand, I do feel for them [people feeling upset]. But if it pushes forward [local businesses'] cause, then great."

    Natalie’s impassioned plea went viral and was even picked up by a local news channel in Queensland.

    However, the alleged mum-to-be faced a lot of backlash on Facebook after some people called in to question whether or not her claim is genuine or some kind of hoax.

    Were you fooled by the video?

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Latest in Life
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Side view of a woman sitting in her bedroom - negative emotion - stock photo
    Life Their Children Were Taken Into Care. Who Was Looking After the Mothers?
     
     
    bright green sticky note reading “I Quit” on a computer keyboard
    Money and Work Does Anyone Actually Want to Be the Boss Anymore?
    The best things to do this October
    Food and Drink The Agenda: Your October Just Got More Interesting
     
     
    Latest in Features
    The end of signature scent
    Fragrance The End of the Signature Scent—Why Fragrance Monogamy Is Falling Out of Fashion
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
     
     
    Dakota Johnson brown cords listing
    Fashion Dakota Johnson’s Easy Brown Cord and Ballet Flats Look Is One I’m Bookmarking for Autumn
    A mug of coffee; a pile of pumpkins; autumnal leaves.
    Wellbeing The Autumn Energy Slump Gets Me Every Time—So I Asked Experts How to Feel Less Run Down Without Overhauling My Entire Life
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.