Top 10 Most Hated British Actors

Welcome to WatchMojoUK, and today we’re counting down our picks for the 10 Most Hated British Actors.

Note that these are listed in no particular order.

#10: John Alford

Anyone who grew up watching Grange Hill will instantly recognize John Alford for his role as Robbie Wright. His career was also highlighted by high profile roles in shows such as London’s Burning as well as a successful music run. But this success would soon fizzle out when Alford’s criminal impulses would begin to take over. It started with a conviction for supplying drugs, but what followed was what really turned the nation against him. Drink driving, assault, and eventually sexual offences against underaged girls landed him in prison in 2026. His time there wouldn’t last long however, as he would die just three months into his 8-year sentence.

#9: Ant & Dec

If you’ve ever switched on the telly, you have undoubtedly seen these two pop up. And while they’re known mostly for being the most prolific hosts in British TV history, they’ve also dabbled in actual acting from time-to-time. While their work is fondly remembered in Byker Grove, the same cannot be said about their adult careers. Look no further than their horrific take on the Likely Lads for starters. But the one that really caught hate from the public was their box office flop “Alien Autopsy”. If you haven’t seen either of these, count yourself lucky.

Acting is most certainly not their forte, which is why many are grateful they stick to hosting gigs these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ula4x_NNsLo

#8: Leigh Francis

Much like Ant and Dec, oversaturation seems to play a large part in why many of the public have a distaste for Leigh Francis. Bo Selecta was adored by many in the country. Of course, on the other end, a lot of people found it to be in poor taste. Francis would eventually catch heat for some of his impressions and use of blackface in the show years later which he would make a public apology for. That’s when the hate seemed to amplify - with one side saying it wasn’t genuine and thus not accepting his apology and the other believing he was acting spineless. Whatever your personal take may be on the situation, one thing is for certain… That Keith Lemon film is absolute shite.

#7: Chris Langham

You’d be forgiven for kind of forgetting about Chris Langham at this point - after all he’s essentially been blacklisted from the acting world. But earlier on, he was quite well respected, especially for his role of Hugh Abbot in the classic comedy ‘The Thick of It’. However, things very quickly soured for Langham when he was found to have indecent images and videos of minors on his computer. In court, he would stress that he was only in possession of these images for ‘research for a role’ but of course, that poor excuse did not stop him from ending up behind bars. Although he got out early, these depraved acts have rightfully continued to earn him hate from the British public.

#6: Ricky Gervais

The ultimate ‘you either love him or you hate him’ actor, Ricky Gervais is nonetheless one of Britain’s most influential comedy actors. His work on series like The Office and Extras is the stuff of legend and his later series such as “After Life” also gained a sizable amount of attention. But it's more so outside acting that Gervais that has earned him ire. For starters, he’s quite hated by a lot of other actors - especially American ones - who can’t handle his controversial banter when he hosts award shows.

It’s also this desire to be controversial that has made many regular folk hate him too though, as his attempts to be edgy or his constant complaints about religion or the idea that you’re “not allowed to make jokes anymore” appear to some as try-hard.

But what do you think? Do you love or hate Ricky Gervais?

#5: Cara Delevingne

Many people don’t enjoy Cara Delevingne, and if you take a quick glance on the internet, you’ll find a lot of irate fans that are angry at her involvement in various projects. Her performance in “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” was fiercely condemned, with The Independent even calling Delevingne and Dane DeHaan “the worst on-screen couple ever.” Many people also didn’t like her performance as Ivy in “American Horror Story: Delicate,” and fans of “Only Murders in the Building” criticized her involvement in season two. For many, Delevingne just does not have the acting chops for such high-grade and mainstream projects.

#4: Lawrence Fox

For a few years this former actor enjoyed popularity as a voice of the far-right, but it seems that perceived popularity didn’t translate to votes in the ballot box if his disastrous mayoral campaigns are anything to go by. In 2021 and 2024 he tried to run for Mayor of London, losing his election deposit the first time after getting less than 2% of the votes, and in 2024 didn’t do the forms right. That same year he also ran for the London Assembly and got only half a percent, losing five grand. The right-wing populist vote is now thoroughly controlled by others again, and Fox’s political career is just as forgotten as his acting one.

#3: David Walliams

Though he’s still known for classic sitcoms like “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me”, Walliams’ public persona has earned him plenty of critcism. He’s not the only obnoxious “Britain’s Got Talent” judge - Simon Cowell is there too, remember - but he IS one of the few to have been sacked due to a scandal. He was recorded saying offensive remarks about a contestant and, after the recording was leaked, was dropped by ITV - though he’s now trying to sue for “losing his ability to be funny”. Years previously and he was in conflict for his “Hide the Sausage” sketch during “Little Britain Live”, in which he was accused of involving teenagers in a gag where he’s pretending to be a nonce.

#2: Russell Brand

You could say that many people don’t like Russell Brand’s brand. His fast-talking, smart-alecky schtick can certainly be grating, and he plays this character in pretty much every single movie that he’s in. If you didn’t like Russell Brand in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” chances are you don’t like him in anything else, either. His personal life has also garnered much negative attention, whether from his known promiscuity or the annoying look-at-me behavior that he often conducts in public. But his public perception got far, far worse in 2023 after a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary was released highlighting many of the alleged sexual assaults on women he conducted over his years in the limelight.

#1: James Corden

While widely known for his talk show, James Corden is also a prominent actor, having found success in both his native Britain and the United States. Unfortunately, it seems like neither side of the Atlantic enjoys his company. While he puts on a nice guy veneer, many people in the industry have spoken negatively about Corden. Just ask Patrick Stewart, who got into a very awkward fight with the comedian at the Glamour Awards. By all accounts, he is an incredibly rude person behind the scenes, often acting discourteous to staff and openly disrespectful of others’ work. But it also extends beyond the Hollywood sphere. In 2022, Corden was banned from a restaurant called Balthazar after acting in an “abusive” manner towards the staff.

Are there any hated actors that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!