Ryan Gosling shares his ‘unpopular opinion’ about foxes in London

Ryan Gosling has some unusually strong opinions on foxes.

The Barbie actor, 45, appeared on BBC Radio 1 this week, where he dissected listeners’ unpopular opinions as part of Greg James’s ironically very popular segment.

This involved the Canadian star being introduced to the concept of the ‘big light’, and you’ll be pleased to know he’s fully in favour of small lamps over turning your lounge into Blackpool Illuminations.

Ryan’s most interesting take, however, came when he voiced his own unpopular opinion, telling the broadcaster that, in London, people are ‘not celebrating the foxes enough’.

Greg was visibly taken aback by the confession, declaring it an ‘incredible’ unpopular opinion.

‘I think they are such an inspiration,’ Ryan stated. ‘They were hunted, and now they have free rein of the city.

‘They just eat whatever they want; they take the trash. They’re like celebrities in a hotel room.’

Branding the furry creatures ‘cool as hell’, Ryan has decided foxes should ‘be on all the merch’, with souvenir stores selling T-shirts of them leaning against Big Ben, wearing a monocle and top hat (stranger designs have been sold).

‘So, what you’re saying is, we don’t know what we’ve got,’ Greg said.

‘I don’t think you do,’ admitted Ryan.

Chiming in with their own views after a clip from the interview was shared on social media, Emma-Jane Dundas commented: ‘This tells me Ryan has not heard foxes at it at 3am when you have to be up early for work’.

In contrast, Kelly Kilfeather is all for hyping up the foxes: ‘So true. We need them on our bank notes’.

‘Love him even more now’, joked Helen Dixon.

Others were keen to remind Ryan, though, that foxes are ‘still hunted’. While fox hunting itself has been illegal in the UK for over 20 years, trail hunting, which involves laying out a scent for hounds to follow, is not.

Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Ryan has strong feelings about the capital’s wildlife, considering he relocated to Hampstead last year.

The La La Land star and his longtime partner, Eva Mendes, 52, moved to London with their young daughters, Esmerelda and Amada Lee, from Santa Barbara in Los Angeles, while he filmed Star Wars: Starfighter.

Directed by Shawn Levy, the latest movie in the sci-fi franchise also stars Amy Adams, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth and will be released in May 2027.

It’s been said that the A-list couple caused quite a stir upon settling into their new British home, with parents at the school gates reportedly ‘drooling over him’.

One told the London Evening Standard: ‘Yes, he’s here and so delightful chatting to everyone at the school gate – such a lovely man.

‘And everyone can’t stop talking about how good-looking he is; the mums are practically drooling over him.’

Ryan and his family further surprised fellow diners at the West Hampstead eatery Hana Restaurant when they popped in for a bite last autumn.

This isn’t the first time Ryan has lived in London, though, as he also settled down in Notting Hill while filming Project Hail Mary.

Due for release later this month, the adventure flick stars Ryan as Ryland Grace, who awakens on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he got there.

Other cast members include Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub.

Ahead of hitting cinemas, the film has received positive reviews, withMetro’s Asyia Iftikhar ‘thrilled to be proven wrong’ after feeling sceptical initially.

‘From the first moments Gosling is on screen, he seamlessly steps into this role, infusing his interpretation with punchy comedic timing, effortless charm and an ability to play light and dark that actually endeared me more to the character than, perhaps, even in the book,’ she praises of his adaptation.

‘He’ll go from making you misty-eyed to laughing out loud on the turn of a dime – no mean feat. Present in nearly every frame of the film, the La La Land star commands the screen and puts in what deserves to be an acclaimed performance.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.