According to Gareth Roberts, the leader of Richmond Council, “most people do recognize the benefits” of “Ted Lasso.” It’s a “balance,” he added by email, to make sure locals don’t “feel their neighborhood exists purely as a film set or tourist attraction.”
On a recent afternoon, some residents seemed unbothered by the “‘Ted Lasso’ effect.” Sunil Chityal, a chartered accountant who has lived in the area for 25 years, said he hadn’t noticed a significant change in the feel of Richmond as a destination, adding that the show was not a “conversation piece” locally.
Part of the reason may be that the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, a picturesque setting with several royal palaces within easy reach of central London and Heathrow Airport, has long had a steady average of 4.5 million visitors a year, according to Miller of Be Richmond.
And in contrast to some previously obscure destinations that are now experiencing an influx of visitors — like Goodwood, Ontario, where “Schitt’s Creek” was filmed — Richmond has been a location for numerous other shows and movies, including “Bridgerton” and “Shakespeare in Love.”
Still, the show’s co-creator Hunt, who also plays the assistant Coach Beard, said that when it came to the center of his beloved Richmond, “I can’t quite show my face as freely there anymore as I might have done a few years ago.”
“It’s not as easy to walk up High Street as it used to be,” he added.