London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Boris Johnson's pronunciation of gulab jamun has people in stitches on Diwali

Boris Johnson's pronunciation of gulab jamun has people in stitches on Diwali

With lockdown restrictions leaving families and friends unable to celebrate Diwali together this year, Boris Johnson brought smiles to people’s faces with a speech marking the festival.

He probably wasn’t aiming for laughs, but his clumsy and weirdly aggressive pronunciation of gulab jaman, a famous South Asian sweet, has been making many people’s day.

In his speech, released last week for a first-of-its-kind virtual Diwali festival, the Prime Minister wished Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities a happy Diwali.

He said: ‘I know that celebrating at a distance isn’t easy when you want to get together with all your family or visit your friends or share with them the Diwali fun, as well of course the odd samosa or gulab jaman.’

The PM’s blustering, emphatic pronunciation of gulab jaman did not go unnoticed by some Twitter users, who discovered the video today.

One Twitter user said: ‘I’m wheezing, why did he say it like that for?’

Another user wrote a tongue-in-cheek response, saying: ‘Boris Johnson has Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel by his side 24/7 you’re telling me neither of them could take five seconds to tell him how to pronounce gulab jamun properly.’



Whether the Prime Minister’s forceful pronunciation is because he is unfamiliar with the South Asian delicacy, or because the thought of biting into the delightful ball of fried milk solids bathed in sugar syrup caused a verbal eruption is uncertain.

It isn’t the first unfortunate collision the Conservative party have had with South Asian culture.

Zac Goldsmith raised eyebrows a few years ago during the London mayoral elections when he claimed to be a fan of Bollywood but couldn’t name a single actor or film.

‘I’m a Bollywood fan, so anything with a Bollywood theme, I will lap it up,’ the former mayoral candidate gushed at a film premier.

When asked by a journalist to name his favourite film or his favourite actor, Mr Goldsmith staggered for an answer before saying, ‘No I’m not going to give you one.’



Diwali is celebrated around the world by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and Buddhists.

The festival of light, which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, lasts for four days. The main day – Diwali day – is on November 14.

This year’s Diwali is unlike any other as parts of the UK are under a second national lockdown to prevent further coronavirus infections.

Johnson went on to thank the community for the ‘amazing part you are playing in our battle against Covid-19’.

He added: ‘Just as Lord Rama and his wife Sita found their way home after defeating demon king Ravana, their way lit by many millions of lamps, so too we shall find our way and we shall do triumphantly.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×