Russell Hicks, a comedian from San Diego in California, moved to Hertfordshire in England 10 years ago after meeting his British partner in LA.<\/p>\n
Since then, Hicks has appeared on BBC\u2019s Have I Got News For You and Channel 4\u2019s The Last Leg, and he starred alongside Lindsay Lohan in Amazon Prime\u2019s 2022 drama, Lovestruck High. He regularly journals about his adopted British life on Instagram<\/a>, with a comedic twist.<\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n As an American in Britain, Hicks, who recently performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, says he has become a \u201cdiplomat of sorts\u201d. He adds: \u201cI get asked so many questions here.\u201d<\/p>\n With Trump now in the UK<\/a>, rubbing shoulders with the Royal Family<\/a> and senior politicians, Hicks\u2019 perspective has become even more of a source of fascination for the British, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants my opinion on this visit, but I can understand why. Considering who is in Trump\u2019s cabinet, I\u2019m probably more qualified than them,\u201d he tells The i Paper.<\/p>\n \u201cTrump does confuse state visits with vacations. America is getting so bad right now that even Trump is leaving.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Trump loves the Royal Family. They\u2019re built on nepotism and covered in jewels. I hope the paper appreciates me commenting on his visit \u2013 unlike other presidents, if I criticise this one, it could cost me my citizenship\u201d.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has attempted to block automatic citizenship<\/a> for those who are born in the US, while it is also screening for \u201canti-American activity\u201d when deciding whether immigrants can enter the country.<\/p>\n However, he says he is impressed with how Starmer<\/a> has managed to charm the right-wing and notoriously changeable Trump since his return to the White House in January.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Keir Starmer should write a manual and distribute it to all of the heads of state on exactly how to speak to Donald, because Keir is the Trump whisperer<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredible. I watched him talk to Trump when he first came over and it reached a level that was almost seduction.\u201d<\/p>\n Jokes aside, however, Hicks says that, observing his country from afar, it looks \u201cterrifying\u201d.<\/p>\n He was thinking about going home to live briefly, but the current political climate has made him feel torn on the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to bash my country, but it looks terrifying on the news right now. It\u2019s less so when you talk to people living there, but our loudest ambassadors get the most attention anyway,\u201d he says in a nod to the present US government.<\/p>\n Nearly 2,000 Americans submitted applications for UK residency in January when Trump took office, according to figures published by the Home Office in May. The number broke records for any quarter on record.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Brits have a stereotype about us: that we\u2019re over the top, fat and loud. But our stereotype of you hasn\u2019t been updated. We all think you\u2019re Hugh Grant. I found out the rough way when I met a hooligan at Wetherspoons, followed by a night bus back home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not all idiots. Not 48 per cent of us anyway,\u201d he adds, in reference to the 48.3 per cent of Americans who voted for Trump\u2019s Democrat rival, Kamala Harris<\/a>, in last November\u2019s presidential election. Trump won with 49.8 per cent<\/a> of the popular vote.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funny thing is British people bash America to me when they\u2019re sitting there wearing a Chicago Bulls hat, wearing Nike trainers, and eating a KFC.\u201d<\/p>\n Describing the differences between Britain and the US, Hicks says he has noticed a \u201cvery thin layer of socialism in the UK\u201d. In contrast, \u201cbeing American is flying without a net. You feel you have to be on your toes all the time. You don\u2019t get taken advantage of in the UK as much.\u201d<\/p>\n When he moved to Britain, Hicks intended to stay for only a few months, but he felt so comfortable here that he is still here a decade later.<\/p>\n \u201cI love how comfortable it is in the UK. When I first arrived, my girlfriend\u2019s mother asked me for tea every 10 minutes without fail. I did start out living in London, but if you want to explore England, leave London and you\u2019ll get exposed to the culture quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n British mannerisms have crept up on him more than he expected. Saying \u201cmay\u201d for a polite request or \u201cI\u2019m going to pop to the shop\u201d when he goes to the supermarket has become all too common for him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d get teased for saying that back home in California,\u201d he laughs. \u201cAnd asking \u2018are you alright?\u2019 instead of \u2018how are you?\u2019 is a big one too. In America, it\u2019s a wellness check, but here it\u2019s a greeting. When I first moved here, I thought everyone thought I was depressed.\u201d<\/p>\n With all that said, Hicks says he misses his family terribly and feels as though the weight of being \u201cthe other\u201d gets lifted when he returns stateside.<\/p>\n ![\"WINDSOR,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_266501932.jpg\")
Donald Trump, King Charles, Queen Camilla and Melania Trump review the guard of honour at Windsor Castle (Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"US](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_266369550_cff02f.jpg\")
Starmer and Trump in Turnberry, Scotland in July. Hicks appreciates how the Prime Minister has charmed the President (Photo: Christopher Furlong\/AFP)<\/p>\n