I'm a Canadian living in London and these are all the things I dislike about the UK

Daily Mail​

10-06-2025

A Canadian man living in London has revealed all the things he doesn't like about the British capital.
Matt Giffen, 29, moved to the capital last year after relocating from his home country with his girlfriend, influencer Summer Fox.
Matt, who is also a TikToker and has 330,000 followers on the platform, has since documented himself trying out everything London has to offer - from sampling a roast dinner to visiting Big Ben and other city landmarks.
But although he said he 'loves' the public transport and how there's always 'something to do', there are certain aspects of life in the UK that he's found more difficult.
'As a Canadian in the UK, these are the things I dislike about living in London,' Matt said, in a video that racked up more than 500,000 views on TikTok.
The first thing on Matt's list is that, in his opinion, there's 'not a very warm culture' in the UK, adding 'and that's just the truth'.
He said that conversations just consist of people asking 'you alright?' and answering 'yeah okay'.
Matt said: 'As a Canadian, personally, that is a big struggle for me. I'm used to walking to the park and smiling at people. I did that once, and a guy told me to "sod off".'
His second reason was perhaps unsurprising, as he lamented that the 'weather here sucks'.
After enjoying a couple of days of springtime sunshine, Matt said he'd begun to look forward to the summer after experiencing a chilly winter.
But his girlfriend, who is British, soon stopped him in his tracks to explain that's 'not how it works here.'
'And then I remembered that last year in July I was wearing my winter jacket,' Matt said.
Next up was Matt's 'constant anxiety' about getting his phone stolen while out walking anywhere in London.
As an influencer, he explained, it is his job to 'wander around the city aimlessly and wave my phone around'.
He joked: 'Do you not think that phone thieves are licking their f***ing chops when they see Matt walking down a street in London?'
He also explained he'd had difficulty grasping just how 'huge' the city actually is, saying that it takes him over an hour and a half to see some of his friends - despite them living in the same city.
Finally, he told his followers that the 'cost of living in London is mental', and it's not just about the rent.
Matt said that a two-bedroom home had recently gone on sale in his neighbourhood for a whopping £800,000 - and even this is relatively cheap for London standards.
'What are we talking about!' he exclaimed. 'I would love to live in London long-term, but it ain't going to happen. I'm moving my ass to St Albans, I'll tell you that for free.'
Concluding his video, Matt even said he had such a long list of things he dislikes that he's hoping to make a second video to reveal them all.
Matt admitted he and his girlfriend, Summer, eventually want to settle down in Canada. Summer wrote underneath his video: 'We are having kids in Canada for sure.'
Rushing to the comments, most people agreed with Matt but advised him to leave London if he wanted to see a different side to the UK.
One person said: 'London is a cesspit, it 's great for a day out of shopping, eating, socialising etc… head outside of the M25 and everything is much nicer.'
Rushing to the comments, most people agreed with Matt but advised him to leave London if he wanted to see a different side to the UK
'Everywhere outside of London is much friendlier! London is miserable!';
'Even most UK people hate going to London! I avoid it like the plague.'
However, one Brit duly noted: 'To be fair if random people were smiling at me, I'd be scared - guess that's growing up in London.'
In another video, Matt revealed all the things he does like about living in England's capital city, including the transport links and being able to book cheap flights.
Matt, who lives in Zone 2, said he'd recently booked a flight to Spain for just £14, and said 'not once' in his experience has a tube or bus been delayed.
He also admits he's 'jealous' of the sense of identity that British people have, such as 'cheeky Nandos', Sunday roasts and Chinese takeaways.
He said everyone he's been around says the 'same things' and watches the same TV shows - and even dress the same.
When Matt first tried a Sunday roast, he was left more than impressed.
After trying each element on his plate, Matt was amazed with the taste. He said: 'I can see why you have this every Sunday now.'