Giles Coren has been ridiculed by comedian Leo Kearse and a large number of social media users after revealing he’d cancelled an upcoming family holiday to the United States.
Mr Coren, whose best known for his newspaper columns and fronting shows such as Million Dollar Critic and the BBC’s Amazing Hotels, pulled the plug on his family’s February half-term holiday to Miami, citing safety concerns.
The 55-year-old food writer announced on Monday that he had scrapped four flights to Florida, stating he could not “in good conscience” bring his wife and children to a country he now considers dangerous.
“The United States is no longer a place for decent people,” Mr Coren wrote on social media.
Leo Kearse is a regular contributor to the People’s Channel
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Speaking to LBC, he elaborated: “This was not disingenuous. America to me seems scary and dangerous. I don’t really understand it anymore. I felt strongly enough and I felt it was worth making the stand.”
The decision came in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis within the past month.
Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Association, was killed on Saturday. According to reports, he was held down and shot multiple times in the head while lying on the ground.
His death followed the shooting of Renée Good, a mother of three, who was killed at the wheel of her family car in the same city approximately ten days earlier.
Food critic Giles Coren has cancelled his family’s upcoming USA holiday
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PAMr Coren claimed that his 12-year-old son has long been a nervous traveller who opposed their previous American trips.
The columnist said he had spent years persuading his children that the US posed no real threat, but the recent killings by federal agents changed his perspective entirely.
Rather than risking their safety across the Atlantic, the Coren family will instead travel to Northumberland to visit Hadrian’s Wall.
“It’ll be cold and wet, and the wall doesn’t do much, but the pubs are nice and you don’t get murdered,” Mr Coren wrote in his Times column.
This morning I cancelled our family holiday to America. I cannot in good conscience take my wife and children there and tell them they will be safe. The United States is no longer a place for decent people.https://t.co/i8xQ4CxUcK
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) January 26, 2026
As well as explaining his decision in his column, Mr Coren also broke the news to his 194.1k X followers.
“This morning I cancelled our family holiday to America,” he penned. “I cannot in good conscience take my wife and children there and tell them they will be safe.
“The United States is no longer a place for decent people.”
Within minutes of sharing the news, Mr Coren found himself inundated with responses, and it’s fair to say many didn’t exactly agree with his decision.
I can only imagine the impact that you cancelling a week at Disneyland will have on global geopolitics
— Leo Kearse – see me on tour! Links in bio (@LeoKearse) January 27, 2026
Among them was Mr Kearse, who mocked the food critic by saying: “I can only imagine the impact that you cancelling a week at Disneyland will have on global geopolitics.”
Several social media users saw the funny side of Mr Kearse’s dig, including Mr Coren himself.
The food writer sarcastically replied: “More like Soho beach house for an eight ball and a yard of brass. The damage to the us economy done by my u-turn will be palpable.” (sic)
Mr Kearse wasn’t alone in his ridicule of Mr Coren as the BBC star faced several other irked reactions.
Giles Coren
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“Funniest damn thing I’ve read in a week. Thank you for the laugh, it was much needed,” one X user mocked.
Elsewhere, a second hit out: “Giles! A slight over reaction? As a woman try walking around London after 7pm. EVERYWHERE is dangerous… Good grief, man. Grow a pair.”
“This ain’t an airport. No need to announce your cancellations,” a third similarly ridiculed.
“Grandstanding buffoon,” a fourth weighed in, while a fifth slammed: “You should be figuring out how to move your family to the US to get out of the hellhole the UK is becoming.” (sic)