{"id":427782,"date":"2025-09-16T02:30:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T02:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/427782\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T02:30:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T02:30:40","slug":"whats-so-great-about-britain-stars-unite-for-gq-shoot-celebrating-british-culture-and-reveal-what-they-love-about-the-country-but-not-everyone-is-positive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/427782\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s so Great About Britain? Stars unite for GQ shoot celebrating British culture and reveal what they love about the country… but not everyone is positive"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is so great about Britain?<\/p>\n

Ask some of the nation\u2019s biggest stars and their answers range from the NHS<\/a> to our unmistakable accent… and Mr Blobby.<\/p>\n

But plenty are less upbeat: they worry about the future, blame politicians for the mess the country\u2019s in and say opportunity is drying up.<\/p>\n

British GQ reveals all this and more in their biggest ever issue, uniting 15 national icons for a special edition: \u2018What\u2019s So Great About Britain\u2019.<\/p>\n

The October edition takes \u2018a deep dive into what makes this country – and the people who inhabit it – tick\u2019.<\/p>\n

And the Daily Mail has been given exclusive insider access to the ambitious shoot.<\/p>\n

Actor Brian Cox, 79, posed in a classic trench coat by luxury raincoat makers Mackintosh and didn\u2019t hold back.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our National Health Service is the envy of the world, and we treat it like s***,\u2019 he said. \u2018Of course it has organisational problems and it\u2019s been through a lot of difficulties, but it\u2019s something that is unique to us.\u2019<\/p>\n

As for \u2018national treasures\u2019, the Succession star is not keen on the suggestion that one person can be more special than others – but admits that Judi Dench deserves the title.<\/p>\n

\"Actor <\/p>\n

Actor Brian Cox posed in a classic trench coat by luxury raincoat makers Mackintosh<\/p>\n

\"British <\/p>\n

British GQ unites 15 national icons for a special edition, titled What\u2019s So Great About Britain?<\/p>\n

England striker Chloe Kelly, 27, was asked to choose her \u2018peak Britain\u2019 moment: \u2018The change that we [the Lionesses] made in 2022 \u2013 we were able to use our voice to make change for young girls, so that gives me hope that there\u2019s more success to come.\u2019<\/p>\n

And pundit and ex-footballer Ian Wright, 61, said football itself makes him proud to be British. \u2018One of the things that makes me really proud to be British is our football pyramid,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019ve got ten tiers. Sunday league, grassroots football from over 40,000 clubs. Think of what it means to the communities around the country. That makes me very proud. And we want a proper football pyramid for the women\u2019s game as well.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sources tell me that the styling for the shoot was meticulous, with each star dressed as a \u2018hyper-real\u2019 version of themselves.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a curated mix of runway fashion, British designers, and heritage brands showcasing the wonderful eccentricities of British style,\u2019 they said.<\/p>\n

Each star was offered seven different looks to choose from. It took two huge studio spaces to accommodate the 20 rails of shoes, hats, scarves, sunglasses, and jewellery.<\/p>\n

Actor Andrew Garfield, 42, suited up in a Saint Laurent blazer, tie and leather trousers, poked fun at one of the country\u2019s biggest cliches.<\/p>\n

\u2018People with the British accent get away with a lot,\u2019 he said. \u2018Everyone assumes we\u2019re smarter than we are. I\u2019m not against that, personally.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Chicken Shop Date star Amelia Dimoldenberg, 31, posed with armfuls of shopping bags and confessed: \u2018London is up there with the greatest loves of my life.\u2019<\/p>\n

Singer Jade Thirlwall, 32, talked politics. Asked what she\u2019d do as Prime Minister for a day, she said the \u2018AI situation is quite crazy\u2019 and called for laws to protect artists from its impact.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, actor Will Poulter spoke about what defines the nation: \u2018Britain wouldn\u2019t be what it is without the contribution of immigrants and all the people who have been able to call Britain home\u2019.<\/p>\n

Singer-songwriter FKA Twigs said Britain has \u2018a huge plethora of stars\u2019 who have changed the \u2018landscape of the world\u2019.<\/p>\n

But not everyone was so upbeat. White Lotus star Jason Isaacs, 62, said he feared Britain had lost its way.<\/p>\n

\u2018You know, everything isn\u2019t about getting richer,\u2019 he said. \u2018Sometimes it\u2019s about organising yourself better or becoming more tolerant or becoming more humble.<\/p>\n

\u2018As a world power, yeah, we\u2019ve been in decline since the 1920s. But that also means that as an exploiter of other peoples\u2019 indigenous nations all over the world, we are in decline.\u2019<\/p>\n

One Day actress Ambika Mod, 29, didn\u2019t mince her words either: \u2018There\u2019s not enough opportunity, especially for people from working-class backgrounds.<\/p>\n

\u2018I have never felt more frustrated with the industry than I have in the last couple of years, especially since One Day and reaching the next level of my career. I think it\u2019s because there just aren\u2019t those spaces carved out.\u2019<\/p>\n

Heartstopper actor Joe Locke, 21, perched on a Lime Bike for the shoot, voiced his unease, too.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think that the next five years will be really telling in the way our country is going to be moving forward. There\u2019s no point in not being hopeful – but also there\u2019s a lot of work to be done.\u2019<\/p>\n

Transgender activist and model Munroe Bergdorf, 38, was more forthright: \u2018How politicians treat trans people is indicative of how they will eventually treat everyone,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

\"England <\/p>\n

England striker Chloe Kelly said her ‘peak British moment’ was when the Lionesses ‘were able to use our voice to make change for young girls’ in 2022<\/p>\n

\"Boxer <\/p>\n

Boxer Anthony Joshua, styled in Louis Vuitton jeans with a pigeon on his shoulder\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Actor <\/p>\n

Actor Andrew Garfield suited up in a Saint Laurent blazer, tie and leather trousers<\/p>\n

\"One <\/p>\n

One Day actress Ambika Mod said: \u2018There\u2019s not enough opportunity, especially for people from working-class backgrounds’<\/p>\n

\"Emma <\/p>\n

Emma Thompson, swathed in a giant neckerchief<\/p>\n

\"Pundit <\/p>\n

Pundit and ex-footballer Ian Wright said the sport itself makes him proud to be British<\/p>\n

\"Mr <\/p>\n

Mr Blobby had a simple one-word answer to what gave him hope: \u2018Blobby’<\/p>\n

\"Chicken <\/p>\n

Chicken Shop Date star Amelia Dimoldenberg posed with armfuls of shopping bags and confessed: \u2018London is up there with the greatest loves of my life’<\/p>\n

\"Will <\/p>\n

Will Poulter said: \u2018Britain wouldn\u2019t be what it is without the contribution of immigrants and all the people who have been able to call Britain home\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018People still aren\u2019t grasping that because they see being trans as something so different from their experience and it\u2019s easier to create an image of something as an embodied ideology than a human being. That\u2019s how any system of oppression thrives.\u2019<\/p>\n

Boxer Anthony Joshua, styled in Louis Vuitton jeans with a pigeon on his shoulder and a cup of tea in hand, turned his frustration on the Press.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you feel like the country is against you and the media is against you, it\u2019s hard for someone to feel like, \u201cI\u2019m going to fight for my country\u201d,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018So I think they should try and get behind their athletes more. Even the s*** ones.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mr Blobby, had a simple one-word answer to what gave him hope: \u2018Blobby.\u2019<\/p>\n

The timing of the cover is striking. Its release comes just after a weekend of chaos in London: more than 110,000 anti-migrant activists marched in a rally named Unite the Kingdom, fronted by hard-Right activist Tommy Robinson.<\/p>\n

Violence broke out with counter-protesters gathered in Whitehall and Elon Musk even beamed in by video link to lament the \u2018erosion of Britain\u2019. The Met Police reported \u2018significant aggression\u2019 from demonstrators as missiles rained down on officers.<\/p>\n

\"Heartstopper <\/p>\n

Heartstopper actor Joe Locke, 21, perched on a Lime Bike for the shoot<\/p>\n

\"Asked <\/p>\n

Asked what she\u2019d do as Prime Minister for a day, Jade Thirlwall said the \u2018AI situation is quite crazy\u2019 and called for laws to protect artists from its impact<\/p>\n

\"Transgender <\/p>\n

Transgender activist and model Munroe Bergdorf said: \u2018How politicians treat trans people is indicative of how they will eventually treat everyone’<\/p>\n

\"White <\/p>\n

White Lotus star Jason Isaacs said he feared Britain had lost its way<\/p>\n

Not that those organising the GQ edition could have predicted it. The shoot, led by photographer Charlotte Rutherford has been months in the planning. It unfolded across three days earlier this year at Big Sky Studios in London. Sources say the concept for the set was a \u2018quintessential British high street\u2019 that would capture the \u2018idiosyncrasies of British culture.\u2019<\/p>\n

Using 3D modelling, each of the 15 stars was placed into their own \u2018narrative moment\u2019 within the scene.<\/p>\n

Adam Baidawi, British GQ\u2019s Head of Editorial called it \u2018hands-down, the craziest shoot of my career – and one of the great joys of my time at GQ so far\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018We knew we needed an ambitious, charming, absurd and beautiful visual statement…Thanks to our brilliant creative team, I think we\u2019ve managed to create just that.\u2019<\/p>\n

The \u2018What\u2019s So Great About Britain\u2019 special issue of GQ is available on newsstands and via digital download from 23rd September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What is so great about Britain? Ask some of the nation\u2019s biggest stars and their answers range from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5018,3,4],"tags":[748,92,393,4884,211,1144,712,813,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-427782","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-britain","8":"category-uk","9":"category-united-kingdom","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-dailymail","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-nhs","15":"tag-northern-ireland","16":"tag-scotland","17":"tag-tvshowbiz","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115211628170913350","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}