China pays tribute to ‘Old Dry Keith’ who shared his bland British sandwiches with the nation

A British antheral who became an improbable societal media sensation by sharing videos of “dry and bland” British lunches successful China has died.

Known and adored arsenic “Dry Old Keith” connected the Chinese mentation of TikTok, middle-aged Keith Brown went viral for assembling his mean ham and herb sandwiches and scrambled eggs connected toast.

The seemingly mundane classical British meals were met with fearfulness and curiosity from the millions of viewers they attracted and adjacent began an online question which saw Chinese nationals trying their ain “dry lunch”.

One commenter asked “Is this real?” aft watching Keith smear immoderate food onto brownish breadstuff however, pursuing the archetypal question of confusion, Keith became known arsenic a paternal “uncle” fig among fans.

His account, ran by his Chinese woman “Jane” Zhang Jian, reached implicit 1 cardinal followers connected the Douyin platform.

An nonfiction written connected the Chinese societal media level 36Kr said: “After watching a abbreviated video, viewers person changed from questioning the adust aged man, knowing the adust aged man, to becoming a adust aged man. The aged antheral is us, and the adust luncheon is our adust life.”

At the tallness of the trend, Chinese supermarkets adjacent began providing “dry buying areas” successful which shoppers could acquisition each the essentials for a Keith-style repast including breadstuff and baguettes.

However, earlier this month, Keith’s woman announced his decease with a achromatic and achromatic representation of him connected their Douyin account. It followed his diagnosis with bony crab successful the summer.

In effect to the news, his followers paid tribute with 1 writing: “I retrieve seeing uncle’s videos successful aboriginal March oregon April and I watched them each day.”

Another wrote: “I person liked you for a agelong time. Goodbye, uncle.”

Jane, who is from northeast China, began making the videos aft the couple, who met successful Malaysia, moved to Britain pursuing Keith’s retirement.

“I was rather amazed by however fashionable Keith became successful China,” she told The Times. “It’s not that I didn’t expect radical to similar him, but I wasn’t prepared for however it would crook out.”

The mates stock a teenage son. Jane told The Times that they would stay successful the UK until her lad finishes schoolhouse and past aboriginal determine whether to determination to China.