A Canadian man has visited Brighton beach and shared his true feelings. The British coast differs a lot to other parts of the world, with its pebble beaches and variable sea temperatures.

Matt Giffen moved from Canada to London and regularly snippets of his life on TikTok. After stopping off in Liverpool, he decided to change direction and explore the coastline along the southeast.

Unlike his home country, the UK has sandy and stone beaches that are typically busy with tourists and locals. However, beaches in Canada can be quieter and more unspoilt.

Matt spent two days in Brighton with his girlfriend, where he strolled along the famous pier and enjoyed some fish and chips.

He shared his thoughts on the seaside city in a TikTok video, where he said: “First of all, it actually gives me a very northern feel, like it’s really friendly and the people here seem very warm a lot, unlike London.

“It does sort of lack that, like, community feel that I had in Liverpool, I think just because there’s so many tourists here, but one thing I do love about Brighton is how walkable this place is.”

Matt found lots of “cute” alleyways to wander down and rated Brighton Palace Pier one of the top three places he has been to in the country.

He noted it feels “very safe” walking around in Brighton and described it as a “very inclusive and welcoming city.”

WARNING: The video below contains explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Matt admitted he is “obsessed” with Brighton, known for its diverse communities and large LGBTQ+ population.

He added: “I love it here. I don’t know what it is but the sound of the seagulls, the seaside views…[I] must have been a sailor back in my past life because when I’m here it just completely calms my nervous system.”

The tourist also loved how Brighton “has everything in one place”, claiming that if he wanted to go shopping he could find all the stores he needed.

Contrastingly, in London, he would have to “bounce around [for] like five hours to find different places” to find what he wants.

Matt and his girlfriend are considering relocating out of London and think Brighton “might be the spot” for them.

This idea has gone down well with his followers, who rushed to share their thoughts.

The TikTok clip has racked up thousands of views, likes and more than 900 comments. One viewer claimed: “Many Londoners move to Brighton in their 30s.”

Meanwhile, a former Londoner said: “Yes! So happy I moved here from London 4 years ago!”

And a Brighton local added: “Yes we do live here. Summer is crazy with tourists but it’s the best place to live all year round.”