Why I Love Sweden with Ming the Merciless

Let's face it, Britain is a bit rubbish. I know we as a nation are all fiercely patriotic, and sure there are things that are great about our fair isle, but if we're honest with ourselves, we're all pretty miserable with our lot. We're underpaid, overworked, underappreciated, and we aren't ever blessed with a decent bit of weather to make up for it.

You know who are a pretty happy nation though? The Swedes. And they've got a lot to be happy about! Today's ramble is on my top ten things about Sweden. Enjoy!

10. Skype

Originally created by Swedish programmer Niklas Zennstrõm, Skype has kept people across the world in touch for free, and kept my mate Stu in pocket for a good while too. So that makes it good for two reasons. Rock on Skype!

9. H&M

I once bought a purple waistcoat from H&M and it was beautiful. It did look like the wallpaper from Disney's Haunted Mansion though...

8. ABBA

If it wasn't for the image of Pierce Brosnan belting out SOS still haunting my every waking moment, the quintessential Swedish pop quartet might have made it higher on the list. He may have had a licence to kill, but his performing licence needs to be revoked.

7. Alexander Skarsgård

Okay, so Skarsgård isn't the world's greatest actor, and with such duds as Battleship and Straw Dogs clogging up his resume, it's a good thing he won the role of sultry Sheriff Eric North in sexy vampire drama True Blood. Sure, he's no David Boreanaz, but he isn't Swedish, so doesn't make the list.

6. Shooting Stars

The Reeves and Mortimer panel show would have not been complete without everyone's favourite Swedish strumpet Ulrika Jonsson. Yeah, she was mostly there to be ridiculed, but what larks we had!

5. Alfred Nobel

Without Nobel, we wouldn't have the Peace Prize, and ironically we wouldn't have dynamite either. Certainly an oxymoron if ever there was one. But, without Nobel, by osmosis we wouldn't have had Hanna Barbera hero Dyno-mutt, nor would Jimmy Walker have had a catchphrase in Good Times. Gee jillickers!

4. Roxette

Everyone bangs on about ABBA, but we're you aware that eighties pop-rockers Roxette are also from Sweden? With such hits as "The Look", "Joyride" and of course "It Must Have Been Love", Roxette were the ultimate eighties group.

3. IKEA

Flatpack furniture, hilarious product names, freakin' amazing meatballs (literally amazeballs!) and that funny named pink juice, IKEA is an institution, and rightfully so. They have recently redesigned the Billy bookcase though, which is somewhat irksome.

2. Swedish Chef

One of the best Muppets. Need I say more?

1. Max Von Sydow

One of the greatest character actors of all time, Von Sydow brought to our screens some of cinema's most iconic (and creepy) characters, ranging from Father Merrin in The Exorcist to Vigo ("He is Viiiiigooo!!") in Ghostbusters II. Most importantly, however, he was Flash Gordon's nemesis Ming the Merciless. So obviously he's the best thing to come out of Sweden. Fact.