'Who in their right mind?' - The Gentlemen star Ray Winstone takes aim at Sussex town in conversation with Romesh Ranganathan
Ray Winstone has taken a brutal swipe at Crawley, after discovering the town is home to comedian Romesh Ranganathan.
The actor – whose career has spanned five decades – is best known for portraying tough, often intimidating characters, delivered in a distinctive London accent. He stars in Netflix hit series The Gentlemen – with the second series now available to watch.
The 69-year-old was appearing on an episode of Ranganathan's podcast – released this week – when he asked the comedian where he lived.
Guessing North London, Winstone was surprised when Ranganathan replied: ‘No, Crawley’ and the actor could barely contain his giggles.
"Near Gatwick? Is that so you can get away quickly?" Winstone joked.
"Who would live near Gatwick – who in their right mind? Does that come under Surrey?"
Ranganathan – clearly baffled as to why Winstone seemed so amused by his hometown – explained that Crawley sits in Sussex, on the ‘border of Surrey’. But that only prompted Winstone to deliver another put-down.
"A cheap version of Surrey – you haven't quite made it enough to get the big house down the road, have you," he said.
Ranganathan was left stunned by the comments
"F****** hell, what a take-down,” the comedian said.
"In 20 seconds, you made me feel I need to speak to my therapist.”
Winstone then further quipped: "You need to talk to your agent."
The exchange was clearly intended as light-hearted banter between the pair, with Ranganathan taking the comments in good humour.
The TV star and comedian, who used to teach at Hazelwick school, was born in the West Sussex town, and still lives in area. His autobiography was called Straight Outta Crawley.
But is Winstone right about Crawley?
Do you live in Crawley? We want to hear from you. Tell us why Ray Winstone has got it wrong – or whether you think he has a point. What makes Crawley a great place to live, and what do outsiders simply not understand about the town?
Have your say by emails [email protected] or join the discussion on our Facebook page.