The record for the most TV links hijacked is 30,000 as of 1 March 2010 and belongs to Gabriele Paolini (Italy). He regularly sabotages journalist and presenter links on national TV in Italy, encouraging the use of condoms, as part of his civil battle against AIDS.

Gabriele Paolini is a famous Italian television prankster and condom advocate. He calls himself the “prophet of the condom” and “the prophylactic prophet.” In Italy he is also referred to as a disturbatore televisivo, which means a television disturber. His antics usually involve exhibiting condoms in the background behind interviews or other unwitting live reporters. He has also been involved with singing contests and sporting events.

Gabriele Paolini began his career as a “television polluter” when a friend of his died of AIDS at age 22, contracting the disease some years after unprotected sex with a prostitute. Paolini’s reaction was to invade TV news reports wearing or waving chains of condoms. Sometimes Paolini also uses a photo of a politician or of the Pope.

The son of a retired general, Paolini is in the Guinness Book of Records for his more than 18,765 very short appearances waving over the shoulders of hundreds of displeased TV journalists.

Over the years, Paolini has angered many in the media. During one interrupted interview, journalist Paolo Frajese began to kick Paolini. Journalists have asked the legal office of RAI TV in Saxa Rubra for a legal injunction to “eliminate the disturber.” In response, Gabriele Paolini showed the media a list of interviewers who had in fact requested his presence. However, Italy’s Supreme Court upheld a three month suspended sentence against him.[1] TG5 editor-in-chief Salvo Sottile and communications expert Enrico Mieli launched a petition on Facebook to “abolish” Paolini from the Italian television due to his insensitivity.

On March 5, 1995, Paolini personally disguised a condom as a request in a paper and gave it to Pope John Paul II at a church in Rome.

In 2008, Paolini was sentenced to a 5-month prison term for offenses against the Pope, stemming from his actions in 2005 when he interrupted a live TV show of RAI TV insulting the Pope and the Italian premier.