A recent interview featuring English celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, 51, has struck a chord with Singaporeans, for the unlikeliest of reasons.
On Saturday, British publication The Telegraph uploaded a clip of its interview with Oliver, where he declared that if he could ban one thing, it would be chewing gum.
“I was walking up the street the other day and the whole street was ruined with a patchwork quilt of chewing gum. So I wouldn’t ban a flavour combination, but I would ban chewing gum, unless you can jet-wash it off. But you can’t,” Oliver said.
The video immediately attracted comments highlighting Singapore, where selling and importing chewing gum is banned.
“Singapore [has banned chewing gum], it’s glorious,” wrote actor Tom Rooke. “You could eat your dinner from the pavement.”
One user from Singapore highlighted the benefits of the ban, writing: “At first, many people were unhappy about the ban. But I still remember those days when you’d sit on a public bus and find chewing gum stuck behind the seats, on lift buttons, and in so many other public places.