Hetty responded by taking down her Instagram account, which had 15,000 followers. (Picture: Wayne Tippetts /REX/ Shutterstock)

An artist took a photo shaming four workmen queuing up for McDonald’s, has apologised for posting it.

Hetty Douglas shared the image, which was captioned ‘They look like they got 1 GCSE’, to her Instagram story after taking it on her mobile phone.

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The post, however, did not go down well, with people accusing her of being a ‘spoiled rich girl’ who ‘wouldn’t last two minutes in the shoes of a tradesman’.

Hetty responded by taking down her Instagram account, which had 15,000 followers.


Today, the artist has issued a public apology on her website, branding the image ‘not nice and not clever’.

Hetty Douglas shared the image, which was captioned ‘They look like they got 1 GCSE’ (Picture: David M. Benett/ Getty Images)

Addressing the public, she said: ‘Of course, what I did was wrong, particularly because the guys I captured in the photo weren’t the loud ones.



‘Also they were wearing working clothes – it turned out they were scaffolders – and it looked like I was saying that people who do manual jobs are stupid.

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‘That’s not my view and it was me that was stupid for not seeing how it might look.

‘The attacks were based on a web of lies. I am not posh. I come from an ordinary family in Nottingham.

‘I went to my local comprehensive with lads like the ones in McDonalds.

‘I’ve always worked and never had hand-outs from my parents.

Hetty's apology Today, the artist has issued a public apology on her website, branding the image ‘not nice and not clever’. (Picture: hettydouglas) I’m Hetty, and my story starts at McDonald’s. I was on my way to work in central London one morning and ran in to get some breakfast. There was a large group of guys in front of me, and some at the counter, some of who were bantering. No big drama. Quite jarring on an otherwise subdued Monday morning. I should have just let it go, but it hit a nerve so I took a photo of some of the men and posted to my Instagram account with a dig at their intelligence. Not nice and not clever and I didn’t really think it through. In the age of social media, the gap between having a thought and broadcasting it to thousands can be a few seconds. Of course, what I did was wrong, particularly because the guys I captured in the photo weren’t the loud ones. Also they were wearing working clothes – it turned out they were scaffolders – and it looked like I was saying that people who do manual jobs are stupid. That’s not my view and it was me that was stupid for not seeing how it might look. What happened next was surreal. Some people didn’t like what I’d said and made that clear to me, which was fair enough. But they also shared their disapproval on social media and before long there was a massive backlash which included threats of violence, sexist abuse and thousands of hostile posts on Twitter and other platforms. A consistent theme was that I was a posh upper class rich kid looking down on the workers like some kind of artsy Bullingdon Club snob. The attacks were based on a web of lies. I am not posh. I come from an ordinary family in Nottingham. I went to my local comprehensive with lads like the ones in McDonalds. I’ve always worked and never had hand-outs from my parents. Yes, I’m an artist, and yes I live in south London, but I’m a grounded person and was raised to work hard for what I’ve got. I acted irresponsibly. Although I photographed the men from behind, the papers managed to identify one of them who was justifiably upset with me. As was his mum. I’ve written to them to say sorry because I really am. I’m told that I’ve got no future with my career because no one will touch me. I hope that’s not true because I don’t think any fair person knowing the truth would wish that on me. For everyone else this is a cautionary tale: don’t make brash judgments on others, and certainly don’t put them on instagram.

‘Yes, I’m an artist, and yes I live in south London, but I’m a grounded person and was raised to work hard for what I’ve got.

‘I acted irresponsibly. Although I photographed the men from behind, the papers managed to identify one of them who was justifiably upset with me.

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‘As was his mum. I’ve written to them to say sorry because I really am.’

Hetty initially faced backlash after photographer Rhi Harper shared the photo on Twitter.

‘And you look like a spoiled rich girl gentrifying south London,’ Rhi wrote in a tweet which was shared 11,000 times.

Replying, one user said: ‘F***ing hell all they wanted was a McDonald’s she needs to chill.’

Another added: ‘Those guys look like mighty fine hard working men to me.’