UK

Research shows we spend almost a decade glued to the box

We spend a huge portion of our lives watching television programmes such as The Great British Bake Off
We spend a huge portion of our lives watching television programmes such as The Great British Bake Off We spend a huge portion of our lives watching television programmes such as The Great British Bake Off

DESPITE ongoing fitness drives, we are all still spending a huge chunk of our lives slouched in front of the TV new research has revealed.

The average person now spends almost a decade of their lives in front of the small screen according to the study commissioned by uktvplay.co.uk which questioned 2,000 people on their viewing habits.

Results uncovered an increase in the number of people watching TV on their own, with UK homes having an average of four different devices on which to watch programmes.

Almost a fifth of people surveyed (19 per cent) said they watched TV at work, while more than a third (37 per cent) admitted to eating at least one meal in front of 'the box' every day.

An emerging generation gap was also exposed in the study with more than a third (37 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-old respondents preferring to watch telly on their tablets, mobiles or laptops - as opposed to the national average of 15 per cent.

A third of viewers in the younger age group also tune into their favourite programmes on TV on demand, researchers found.

UKTV's controller Emma Tennant said: "It's amazing how many hours of small screen time we rack up in a lifetime - which is testament to the great programmes available to enjoy."