Weird NewsWEIRD NEWS

World's heaviest pumpkin tops 3,000 pounds, Rhode Island man sets…

A Rhode Island grower's pumpkin set the new world record; videos of the weigh-in are circulating online, though the pumpkin declined to comment on its diet.

On air: Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:09 PM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Giant pumpkin — Photo: KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance

First reported by USA Today: “World’s heaviest pumpkin tips the scales at more than 3,000 pounds. See the video.”, with reporting from Providence Business News.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 5:09 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman.
Topics: Rhode Island.
BBN covered this story before: Rhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin (October 15).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

USA TodayWorld’s heaviest pumpkin tips the scales at more than 3,000 pounds. See the video.
Providence Business NewsR.I. man sets world record for heaviest pumpkin

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA Rhode Island man has set the world record for heaviest pumpkin, and it tipped the scales at more than three thousand pounds.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThree thousand pounds, and it's never once been asked to carry anything. That's an athlete with a coach and no workout.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIt sat in a patch and gained weight, and now it has a world record. I'm told that's called a career.