Want To Know Rishi Sunak's Height? So Does Everyone, Apparently

We have bigger (ahem) things to worry about.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama shake hands as they meet on Downing Street, in London, Britain, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
HENRY NICHOLLS via Reuters
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama shake hands as they meet on Downing Street, in London, Britain, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

This story was first published in October 2022, and was re-published in April 2024.

Since Rishi Sunak officially took the top job on October 25, 2022, becoming the first UK prime minister of Asian descent and the youngest one too, a lot of people have been obsessing over something else entirely.

Nearly all of us have strong opinions about the government, but the public awaits to see how the latest leader of the Conservative Party will lead the country. His policies aren’t the only thing people are discussing though, the public have another obsession regarding Rishi: his height.

The UK’s prime minister is 1.7m, which means that he’s 5ft 7 – and people have strong feelings about this. The average height for men in the UK is 5ft 10, a fact which has made the PM’s height the talk of the town.

Some people are mocking his height

Any suggestions of what Rishi Sunak should do to stop himself looking so short? 🤷♂️#WeeManSyndrome pic.twitter.com/C0mlIiJdp6

— Ragged Trousered Philanderer (@RaggedTP) October 24, 2022

Oh wow, I knew Rishi Sunak was short, but I had no idea just how… pic.twitter.com/Rl4FLU8Ujy

— Heath (@LeastHesFunny_) October 25, 2022

today i discovered that rishi sunak is in fact short and i’m crying WHY DID I THINK HE WAS TALL pic.twitter.com/RX2dpVhDq3

— juliet 🫧 (@huibane_) October 26, 2022

Fun thing about knowing Rishi Sunak's 5'6" is that it allows you to benchmark the height of everyone he meets against him https://t.co/BS59vBItpU

— Jack Bailey (@PoliSciJack) October 25, 2022

Others think the discussions around his height are unfair and mean

Why do people think it ok to comment on Rishi Sunak’s height? Heightism to mock and undermine. I know how hurtful this can be -my son was bullied relentlessly at school - just for being small.

— Leala Padmanabhan (@lealapad) October 25, 2022

Mocking Rishi Sunak for his height seems so…puerile. Go after people for things they can change like their stinking policies, but once you go personal you’re opening the gates for the racists to take over with much worse.

— Monisha Rajesh (@monisha_rajesh) October 25, 2022

There are a lot of things to make fun of Rishi Sunak for.

His height is not one of them, given that it's completely unconnected to his politics or his morals, which are a choice.

And yes, I'm side-eyeing anyone who's mocking him for being "short".

— Scarlett Parrish (@ScarredParrot) October 25, 2022

Rishi Sunak won't see your short jokes but your male friends who have been taught by society to be insecure and ashamed of their height from a young age will (unironically)

— Becki (@Becki_Holmes_) October 24, 2022

But some of the ‘short kings’ are celebrating

Cannot understate the significance of Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister to the short king community

— Alexander Brown (@AlexofBrown) October 24, 2022

Congratulations to the short king community today for their epic win (Rishi Sunak next UK prime minister)

— shaggy (@shaggyfire101) October 24, 2022

Full support to Rishi Sunak, we need more representation of short kings out there.

— Vi (@altyiran) October 24, 2022

Jokes about men’s height aren’t new, but they’re getting old. If you know it’s wrong to comment on women’s appearances, the same grace should be applied to men.

Men are more than just their height, but unfortunately, people do take the height of men into consideration.

A study conducted by the researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland found a link between height and the perception of masculinity. Whilst another 2005 study stated that men who said they were 6’3” or 6’4” got about 60% more messages on dating sites than men who were 5’7” or 5’8.

But the tide is slowly changing for short men. The term ‘short king’ increased during awards season when celebrity couples Spider-Man’s Tom Holland and Zendaya took to the red carpet. Though she is taller than her partner, she clearly couldn’t care less about height.

So the next time you want to critique Rishi Sunak, make sure it’s about his policies, not his height.

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