Etiquette coach provokes outrage by claiming Christmas tinsel is common

It should not be beginning to look a lot like Christmas, apparently

An etiquette expert has landed himself in hot water for suggesting tinsel be banned.

On an episode of Loose Women, William Hanson was asked to reveal his guide to a “proper” Christmas.

But not all his opinions were well-received by viewers.

William Hanson

Hanson said he believes tinsel is common “because it’s made out of plastic.”

And he didn’t hold back his disgust at the prospect of putting tinsel on a Christmas tree: “To have a nice sophisticated tree you don’t need tinsel.

“Originally, tinsel was made out of silver, actual silver, so it was terribly sophisticated going back a few hundred years.

“But now it’s coated in fire retardant, it’s not brilliant and it’s too bushy and synthetic.”

Not only does he think tinsel should be banned, he believes lights should only be white or off-white and must never be flashing.

Hanson also revealed that most people put their trees up too early, in his opinion. He said he normally puts his tree up around 16 or 17 December, which was met with incredulity from the panel.

“If you have a real tree and you put it up too early, it’s going to expire,” Hanson said.

And his comments haven’t gone down well with the public.

“The Grinch personified,” one person called him.

“William is such a snob,” added another.

Some people revealed themselves to be fans of Hanson though.

Hanson did at least concede that a tree should reflect our personalities, be yours classy or fun.