A US expat shares 12 beloved British icons that many Americans don’t recognize
London: A US expat named Kalyn shared a list of 12 British cultural icons. She runs the popular YouTube channel, Girl Gone London. Kalyn has lived in the UK for nearly ten years. She was surprised to find that many of these characters were unknown to her before moving.
Her list includes Postman Pat, a character she described as nice. She joked that he doesn’t deliver across the ocean. Kalyn also mentioned the Moomins, which she thought could be hippos or aliens. She knew they were from Finland but assumed every Brit knows them.
Next, she talked about Pingu, the claymation penguin. Kalyn said the show isn’t well-known in America. If you mention Pingu, people might think you mispronounced ‘penguin’. Then there’s Mr Blobby, a bizarre pink character from the 90s. Kalyn found him confusing and wondered if he’s meant to be funny or scary.
Kalyn also discussed Guy Fawkes, noting it’s strange to call him an icon. He’s famous in Britain for Bonfire Night, but Americans have no clue who he is. She mentioned Father Ted, a bumbling priest, who most Americans don’t recognize either.
David Brent from The Office was another name on her list. Unlike the US version with Michael Scott, most Americans don’t know David Brent. Kalyn admitted she’s never seen Bananaman, a UK superhero, and other Americans likely haven’t either.
She also mentioned the Chuckle Brothers, who were popular on British TV. Kalyn said her knowledge of them is very low. Ant and Dec are household names in the UK, but she wasn’t aware of them either.
Kalyn pointed out that Take That, despite their fame, is largely unknown in America. She enjoys some of their songs but noted that Robbie Williams is also unrecognized. Finally, she mentioned Mary Berry, who has now made a name for herself beyond the UK.
