Phil Carr has branded some of Kent's most famous places tourist traps and "far worse than prison colonies".

The comedian - whose rants are viewed hundreds of thousands of times on TikTok - has ripped into the likes of Canterbury, Sheerness, Dover and Chatham in tongue-in-cheek posts.

But until now the 38-year-old has not turned his attentions to Margate, the up-and-coming seaside spot popular with artists and musicians. The Thanet town couldn't come off as badly, right?

Don't get me wrong, I know it has its downsides, but on the seafront you have Dreamland, the Turner Contemporary Gallery, the Harbour Arm and a beautiful sandy beach.

Time Out recently named Cliftonville in Margate the eighth coolest neighbourhood in the world. Tatler magazine also called the town the "new Ibiza" and the Sunday Times said it was one of the best places to live in Britain six years ago.

Phil and I are stood outside Arlington House, the controversial high-rise tower block which looms over the area like a grey beacon.

"I'm surprised people are living in it to be honest," he says.

"From a distance is looks derelict."

I tell him a bit about the building's history, and how Tracey Emin - perhaps the town's most famous resident - loves it.

"I'm not sure that's a good thing," the dad-of-one replies.

"Sometimes when Tracey Emin likes something that's a kiss of death."

Nearby, Dreamland has pride of place on the seafront, with a bright-yellow "thank you Margate" sign adorning its front.

We walk towards the railway station which, with it being 10am on a Wednesday, is quiet.

As a police van and two cars with lights flashing shoot past us, I remark: "It's not always like that, promise!"

Hoping to lift the town in his estimations, we venture to the Old Town, and it doesn't disappoint.

With its cobblestone streets and funky independent businesses, it's so vibrant and beautifully decorated.

Phil, who is from Epsom, echoes the sentiment. I see him photographing the historic buildings and restaurants such as Wildes, which was featured in Empire of Light, a film starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth that was shot in the town.

The Sam Mendes-directed movie comes up in conversation a lot, and it seems to impress my guest as I point out some of the filming locations.

While we walk, I ask Phil where his apparent hatred of Kent comes from.

"Remember in Covid when Boris said Christmas was going ahead, and it was cancelled at the last minute?" he asks.

"Well the mutation that spread started in Kent, so I made an ironic video blaming the county for ruining Christmas.

"The people of Kent took that very seriously, and I got a whole lot of hate for the video. That was when the vendetta started.

"So, I leant into the hate and created a sort of persona. Also, it's just not a great county."

In his "guide" to Royal Tunbridge Wells, the TikToker said "everywhere you look in this lawless wasteland you see evidence that crime is the foundation on which the whole town is built".

He has also described Sevenoaks as "a dive", where "you can smell the desperation". It was Canterbury Cathedral that he labelled a tourist trap, and he left Sheerness saying it was "far worse than a prison colony".

"I crack jokes about places all over the country," he adds.

"Everywhere else has laughed it off, but not Kent - they take things very personally here.

"You can either ignore hate or lean into it, and I've chosen to lean into it."

By now, I'm unable to stop us from exploring the town's high street. In his videos, Phil enjoys poking fun at the number of Icelands, Aldis and betting shops an area has to offer.

He even counts the number of Wetherspoons places have. But Margate only has one - better than Canterbury, which he slated for having two.

By the time we finish stepping along the thoroughfare, Phil's disappointed. We didn't find a Mecca Bingo hall, which he believes is a sign of a "dying town". I'll take that as a win.

Continuing on, we we pass the Turner and Winter Gardens, which looks in a particularly sorry state.

Eventually, we made it to Cliftonville. Having already read Time Out's article, Phil scoffs as we turn into Northdown Road.

"The eighth coolest neighbourhood in the world?" he sniggers.

"I think there are people in Brighton and Camden shouting right now thinking that's absolutely mad.

"I could list off neighbourhoods in the UK that are cooler than Cliftonville without rest or hesitation.

"Good luck to Cliftonville, but you wouldn't find me moving there if I was a young artist."

To the right is an Aldi, and opposite stands a Labour Party office, which has a boarded-up newsagents right next door.

I usher Phil further down, as he chuckles at and films the sad-looking shops.

"It definitely gets better, believe me," I insist.

Just off Northdown Road is the Dalby Café, which Time Out says has the town's best fry-up. It's the place where rocker Pete Doherty famously polished off an enormous breakfast challenge a few years ago.

He also opened the Albion Rooms hotel around the corner in Eastern Esplanade with his Libertines bandmates three years ago - no doubt adding to the area's cool credentials.

"Kent's alright, but if it wasn't in commuting distance of London it would be in real trouble..."

But soon enough we have to say our goodbyes. I ask if I've changed his mind about the area at all, reminding him of the TimeOut, Sunday Times and Tatler articles.

"This is the best Kent to offer? Margate needs a lick of paint," he exclaims.

"When I was roaming around Canterbury Cathedral I thought surely this is the best Kent has.

"Kent's alright, but if it wasn't in commuting distance of London it would be in real trouble."

So, I'd say Margate didn't come off the worst, but not the best either. You can watch his take on TikTok here.

As for his opinions on Kent, I don't think I've changed them completely.