Britons may seem more divided than ever when it comes to the political landscape – but there’s nothing that quite brings them like a disagreement with the Yanks.

And while the UK shares a lot of similarities with its neighbours across the pond, recent months have seen online feuds surfacing.

Americans have been beefing English people over everything from their beloved Chinese takeaways to national music legend Robbie Williams – who those from the US have dubbed a ‘nobody’.

Elsewhere, Michigan influencer Keith Lee caused major upset when he gave a lukewarm review to a renowned British institution – jacket potatoes.

The American foodie caused outrage when he offered his thoughts on the ‘crazy’ combination of toppings on his spud, including cheese, beans, tuna, and tram sauce.

Soon, bitter comments saw Britons hitting out American taste palates as being used to food that’s ‘full of chemicals’ whereas those from the US begged Keith to ‘come back’ and get away from the bland food in London. 

However, it’s far from the first social media clash between the two nations which has resurged in the UK in recent months. 

Here, FEMAIL looks at the flurry of recent disagreements which saw a poignant thawing of relations between the countries… 

KEITH LEE

The UK’s beloved Spud Brothers have encountered their first hitch in the road following a visit from a famous American food reviewer.

Keith Lee, 28, an established Michigan-based food reviewer with more than 17 million TikTok followers, took to the Spud Brothers Express in London’s West End last week.

However, Keith’s ‘honest’ review of the loaded jacket potatoes, which racked up more than 16 million views, was a far cry from the high praise that Spud Brothers Jacob, 28, and Harley Nelson, 21, are accustomed to.

While his wife and cousin enjoyed the dish, the food reviewer claimed his cheese, beans, and tuna spud suffered from flavour clashes.

Before Keith published the whole review, a member of his team accidentally leaked a snippet of the video, showing him making disapproving noises after his first bite.

Spud Brothers quickly caught wind of the clip, and made a string of responses on their channel, including their plans to remove tuna off their menu because of the backlash.

While the drama was cleared up after Lee posted his full review and explained that he meant no disrespect by his opinions, the incident led to a transatlantic TikTok clash.

Britons claimed that Lee had disrespected the Spud Brothers while Americans told Spud Brothers to ‘give a rest’ and stop insulting their ‘treasure’.

‘Me and my family are in Soho, London, and inside these containers are some of craziest foods I’ve ever tried in my entire life,’ Keith said at the start of his review.

He continued: ‘We spent £26… The name of this place is Spud Bros, and the concept of Spud Bros is very simple, they make loaded potatoes, but that’s the only simple thing about it.

‘We pulled up and the line is almost out of the door… Two owners walked up to us while we were stood in the middle of the line, and they said they were waiting for us to come.

‘They tried to give us everything for free, but you know that’s not how we roll, you know we pay for everything, and I told him straight to his face, ”I’m going to be honest”.’

The food reviewer ordered two potatoes, one with cheese, beans, tuna, and tram sauce, and another with chicken curry, tram sauce, crispy onions, garlic butter, and beans.

Keith said: ‘Before I open this, I am not trolling, this is on the menu, what’s in here is not specifically made just to plate,’ adding: ‘People seriously come and order this, this is not a joke.’

Despite going into the review ‘extremely open minded’, Lee instantly made a disapproving noise after taking the first bite of his tuna spud.

He commented on the backlash, saying: ‘I don’t like the narrative that was spun that I was being disrespectful, when the owner was sitting right there when I was trying, and he saw my review and gave me a thumbs up about it.

‘I was asked for my opinion; I gave my opinion. Personally, it didn’t work for me, specifically because the number of textures and flavours… clashed.’

He added at the end: ‘At no point was I disrespectful… everybody’s taste buds are different.

However, his wife enjoyed the dish, ranking it an eight out of ten, adding: ‘This is gas, I like it a lot,’ she said.

The chicken curry loaded jacket potato was more to Lee’s taste buds, with him awarding the combination a seven out of ten.

‘In my opinion, this one is better, it’s a lot of flavour,’ he said.

Before Keith published the full review, the Spud Brothers made a series of videos addressing the clip.

Their first response saw them mocking the review and joking that they would remove Keith’s order off the menu, with one brother saying: ‘Why on earth would you give Keith Lee tuna, cheese, and beans, he’s an American.’

They quickly changed their thoughts after Lee released the full review, saying: ‘So, the Keith Lee full review is out, not the short clip where he spat the cheese, beans, and tuna out, that we all saw on the internet.

‘We just tried to make a bad situation good… we just did a bit of lighthearted banter.

‘Cheese, beans, and tuna is not to everybody’s taste, we absolutely get that.

‘There are absolutely no hard feelings, respect that he came… he’s one of the biggest food reviewers out there.

‘We completely get it now, big up to Keith and his family, thank you for coming down.’

Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts, with one saying: ‘Very respectful response, Keith Lee and his family are American treasures.’

Another said: ‘This entire thing has turned me off from you guys. I’ve loved watching y’all, but this dragged out way too much and over dramatized it.

A third viewer added: ‘Another video … GIVE IT A REST’.

A fourth said: ‘I think Keith deserves an apology. See how context matters?’

‘Praying all Brits calm down now, the review wasn’t bad at all,’ said another.

Others said Lee’s order was the reason for the less than glowing review, with one adding: ‘To be very honest, as someone born in this country, having tuna, beans, and cheese in a baked potato is pure insanity.’

Another added: ‘Born and raised in England and I don’t know anyone who would mix tuna and beans on a jacket potato’.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

Last year, Brits were forced to defend Robbie Williams after a debate erupted on social media, with Americans slamming his new musical monkey biopic and claiming they ‘have no idea who he is’.

The 50-year-old star’s movie Better Man has received glowing reviews from critics, as they praised the film as ‘riveting’, ‘bombastic’ and ‘utterly inspired’. 

The semi-biographical movie follows the singer’s meteoric rise to fame as a member of Take That and subsequent dramatic fall, as he battled with his personal demons and the challenges that success can bring.

But in a twist on the genre, the pop star is portrayed as a chimpanzee in the film, while everyone else in human, with Jonno Davies acting the movements via motion capture technology and Robbie doing most of the voicework.

However, as clips from the film have started circulating on social media, baffled Americans are admitting they have ‘never heard of him’ – and Brits cannot believe it.

Taking to X, Americans quipped: ‘What the hell is up with this “Robbie Williams” monkey CGI movie Nobody in America has a CLUE who that is…. And like me probably got excited for Robin Williams then was like oh…. Why’re they advertising like this is a big deal.’ 

‘Who is Robbie Williams and why does he have a biopic where he is a cartoon monkey?’

‘Who tf is Robbie Williams? Why are people mad that Americans are not interested in whatever movie he’s associated with?’ 

‘I had to look up who Robbie Williams is. Apparently he is some British guy who sings.’

‘In the trailer Robbie states he’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world. I literally never heard of him. Nor do I want to watch biopic of him.’

But, British fans were quick to explain and furiously defend the pop star, writing: ‘That’s insane. Idk how you haven’t heard of him or take that.’

‘Just recently discovered that americans have no idea who robbie williams is and that’s absolutely blown my mind because how.’

‘375,000 people over 3 nights went to knebworth just to watch Robbie Williams, he broke out in Europe, Asia, South America, his tours have grossed over $600 million. But Americans make fun of him and question his popularity because he wasn’t as big in North America? Get a grip.’

And over on TikTok, another Brit posted a TikTok sticking up for the star, which has racked up a whopping two million views in just days.

The user, who posts under the handle @sophiegotsleeved, wrote: ‘Americans bullying Robbie Williams but what they fail to understand is he signed the biggest recording deal in British music history (£80m) making him one of the highest paid singers in the world.

‘Remember how Taylor Swift broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day in late 2022 for the Eras Tour? Guess who held the record before her? For SEVENTEEN years.

‘He also did three nights at Knebworth to a crowd of 300,000 people EVERY night. Put some respect on his name.’   

But, the debate continued as Brits and Americans flooded the comments section: ‘Literally never heard of the guy until the extreme amount of videos about him this week.’

Elsewhere, US based Emily Treadgold in a video said: ‘There’s a reason he never made it big in America… the music is not good.

‘The music y’all keep playing to tell us that he’s good – we don’t like it. And Americans love British music. We love it, the Beatles, One Direction, so good right?’

While critics have branded the monkey decision a ‘huge risk’ and potentially ‘stupid gambit’, they declared it ended up being genius choice and ‘one of the most inspired bits of casting of the year’.

USHER’S POP YA COLLAR

In some instances it’s not so much a beef but a misunderstanding between the two nations.

This definitely seems to be the case for Usher’s hit song Pop Ya Collar – beloved by many a Brit.

Those from the UK will surely recall the distinct club tune, symphonised with the lyrics ‘hey ladies, hey fellas’.

But people in the US were baffled by revelation – as they had never heard of it.

Initially, a version was released in the United States. However, the song – part of his initial plans for a third album dubbed All About U – was leaked along with other tracks.

The whole project was scrapped, but Pop Ya Collar was included in non-US versions of his ultimate album release, titled 8701. 

This was recently unveiled after Usher appeared on Keke Palmer’s podcast – Baby, This is Keke Palmer – and admitted he’s not a fan of doing live. 

‘When I’m in Europe they like me to perform a song called Pop Ya Collar,’ the R&B singer revealed.

Keke said she had never heard the song, and soon enough the realisation has instilled a sense of pride for Britons on social media. 

However, many Americans hit out by saying the song wasn’t properly released because it was too ‘corny’ and suggested that it catered to Brits’ subpar tastes in music – despite the tune also having airtime in the States. 

Soon, bitter comments came from both sides.

‘This is one of his worst songs that’s why we don’t listen to it over here,’ one hit out. ‘Beans on toast brigade got the Usher wartime rations.’ 

A Brit, meanwhile, penned: ‘Americans are saying this song is corny and I’m like????? Used to come home from school and watch the video on MTV Base every day.’ 

Another slammed: ‘So Europe got Usher’s best song ever and the States ain’t got a clue about it?! Sucks to be you guys lol.’

CHINESE TAKEAWAY

In 2023, an American TikToker sparked a debate on the English language when she asked why Britons say they’re going to have ‘a Chinese’.

Influencer Soogia (@soogia1) – who has more than 1.7million followers on the app and creates content around her Korean-American heritage – questioned the UK’s shorthand in a clip.

She also admitted the phrasing felt ‘a little’ racist to her – although stressing she knows that it isn’t.

In a follow-up video, Soogia explained that in the US putting ‘a’ in front of a nationality is often said to dehumanise a person from that background, which is why it ‘gave her pause’.

‘It’s like that prompt that’s like “tell me something that isn’t racist but feels like it”,’ she said in the viral clip. ‘It feels like that!’

She continued: ‘I find it so strange that they all call it “a Chinese”. Like here in the United States we call it “Chinese food” like we do all other foods…

‘So do British people also say I’m going out for a Greek or a Mexican or an Italian or is it exclusively when they talk about Chinese food? I find that so odd.’

Soogia also questioned the selection of Chinese takeaway classics most Brits were piling up on their plates – including signature picks like chicken balls and curry sauce.

She was also baffled by seeing chips in the selection, claiming she has never seen the side dish offered at Chinese eateries in the US. 

The TikToker said she’s more used to seeing other dishes considered Chinese cuisine staples in America, such as Mapo tofu, dumplings and bao buns – questioning why she didn’t see any of those in the UK videos.

However, she admitted it could just be what her algorithm is showing her.

Tensions between TikTokers arose on both sides of the pond, as many were quick to criticise Soogia for ‘reaching’ and senselessly accusing British people of being offensive.

Elsewhere, one British creator who filmed herself eating ‘a Chinese’ admitted she has since been inundated with ‘horrible comments’.

In a moment of social media diplomacy, ‘born and raised British’ creator Olivia Smith (@whalesandfairytales) sat down with her ‘born and raised Chinese’ boyfriend Derek (@derekjguo_) Guo to explain the situation. 

‘We think we have enough qualifications to speak about Chinese food in England,’ Olivia said in reply to Soogia’s video.

‘Outside looking in, her questions are valid but we can answer them.’

The couple first addressed the confusion around whether calling the takeaway ‘a Chinese’ is offensive. 

‘They are not racist, they are just English people being lazy,’ Derek joked.

‘It’s short for “I’m gonna have a Chinese for dinner”,’ Olivia explained.

‘We just shorten it – and – to answer the question, would we do it with a Mexican, a Greek, an Italian – yes, 100%. That’s just what we say.’

The pair then stressed that Chinese takeaways in the UK are very different from Chinese restaurants – and don’t necessarily reflect the nation’s food selection across the whole country. 

Olivia said: ‘All the food you see on your For You page where it’s like chips, curry sauce… we personally don’t like it – but they’re from takeaways.

‘Chinese takeaways do sell Chinese food in England, but they also are normally the only takeaway in a big area so they have to cater for a lot of different people.’ 

‘It’s kind of like a comfort food,’ she added. ‘You order it when you’re 10, you order it when you’re hungover and you’re 25 as well.’

Derek also said that there is a great selection of other Chinese cuisine available in the UK. 

‘There are actually some good authentic Chinese food [restaurants] around city centres,’ he explained.

Olivia added: ‘Location-wise and money-wise, Chinese takeaways are very popular in like the countryside and they’re super, super cheap so it’s very accessible.

‘In cities like where we live, there’s actual proper Chinese restaurants because there’s a.) Chinese people here who can give an authentic experience but b.) there’s actually the money so that the Chinese food that you do get can be of Chinese quality.’

UK food TikToker Lauren Griffiths (@laurenkategriffiths) also stressed that the phrase is never meant to cause offence, addressing the Americans who ‘flooded’ her account over the last few days.

In a video the influencer, who made a video about getting ‘a Chinese’ says viewers from across the pond have been telling her that ‘it sounds like we’re talking about a person’.

‘I do just kind of want to clear it up because we are a lazy nation,’ she continued. ‘It is literally just us removing the word takeaway off the end so we would do it for all cuisines…

‘It’s genuinely not meant offensively in any shape or form and I’m really sorry if it comes across that way… it’s just British slang.

‘We would say the same for a “full English”. Because I heard a lot of comments being like “you wouldn’t say a British” but we say “a full English” instead of “a full English breakfast” or we say “we’re going for a chippy” which is British.

‘I completely understand curiosity or not understanding… but over the past 24 hours it’s kind of got to a little bit of like a different level, my page is being completely overwhelmed with horrible comments.’

In another video, Soogia stressed that she now understands that ‘takeaway’ works as a singular noun in the UK, and hence makes sense. 

The influencer then revealed that she herself has also been inundated with racial slurs and comments from trolls following the dilemma. 

She also reiterated that she never called the British creators on her page racist, and insisted that her video did everything in its power not to spread hate regarding her question.