Can’t Fawlt us
FULL MONTY: They love our comedy, remaking their own version of Fawlty Towers and buying 80s comedy ’Allo ’Allo! despite its gags about occupying German officers in wartime France. Monty Python were so big in Germany, they filmed two episodes in Bavaria.
TELLY TRADITION: An obscure 1962 British sketch starring Grimsby comedian Freddie Frinton, called Dinner For One, is screened every New Year in Germany with millions tuning in. It’s even the most repeated TV show in the country, despite not being shown on the box here until 2018.
JAS PLEASE: A recent survey also showed they adore the TV series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, inset right, as the famous sleuth, while series like Doctor Who and Blackadder have been big hits.
HERR HEIR! According to one poll, more than 50% of Germans are obsessed with gossip about the British royal family. King Charles and the Queen were met with adoring crowds on their state visit to the country last year and millions of Germans mourned Elizabeth II’s death.
HANS ON: The UK comes top of all other nations for Germans when shopping online. British luxury fashion brands like Burberry and Vivienne Westwood are among the most popular search terms for German shoppers on eBay, while New Look and Topshop have opened German stores.
EINS, ZWEI, FRY! Cafes serving traditional British breakfasts are booming in the sausage-loving capital Berlin, with British chefs like Jamie Oliver also helping to improve the reputation of our national cuisine in Germany.
STEIN-CATION: Half a million Germans visit Britain annually, with 18% of them coming for beach holidays – so watch your towels! They love Cornish novelist Rosamunde Pilcher, buying 12million of her books. Her stories have been made into more than 100 German TV dramas.
FROM PRUSSIA WITH LOVE: German tourist Rainer Schmid loves the city of Hull so much he’s visited 32 times for the English breakfasts and to see the Yorkshire countryside.
FUSS BALL: The German press have dubbed England striker Harry Kane “King Kane” since he moved to German club Bayern Munich. Club legend Lothar Matthaus says: “He’s very close with the fans” and a “great ambassador”.
BITTE FUN: Patriotic football anthem Three Lions made it into the German charts with Germany’s Euro ’96 skipper Jürgen Klinsmann saying: “We loved it” and David Baddiel adding: “It’s been a staple for German fans since then.”
SAUER GOOD: The Beatles kicked off their careers with a residency in a club in German city Hamburg.German-speaking singer Ed Sheeran’s songs have regularly topped the German charts and he has even donned lederhosen on tour there.