Watching TV is the top activity planned for Brits this Christmas

• 40% of those questioned will be watching TV on Christmas Day
• A third will be celebrating at home with the family
• Just under a quarter won’t be leaving the house

Forget Christmas number ones - watching TV is top of the pops for Brits this year with 40% of those questioned saying they will be watching TV on Christmas Day, making it the most popular activity for festive fun this year, according to new research by GoCompare Home Insurance.

The research, which asked more than 2000 people what they are planning for Christmas Day, also revealed that a third (33%) of people will be spending it at home with their family, one in ten (11%) will be with their partner and 7% will be alone.

And, while it’s fair to say the majority of us will be tucking into a tasty turkey roast dinner with all the trimmings after enjoying a visit from Santa, just under a third (32%) will actually be doing the cooking, the same number of people (5%) will be heading to the pub or to church at some point, with only 2% eating out at a restaurant or hotel.

After lockdown restrictions meant Christmas was a much quieter affair last year, friends and family are certainly high on people’s priorities this year with nearly one in five (19%) planning on meeting family and friends, - 14% are planning to enjoy a family gathering, 17% will be getting out the board games or playing some festive games and 15% will be playing with the kids.

Just under a quarter (23%) of people will be staying indoors all day, with the dress code of the day also dividing the nation as 8% are planning to stay in their Christmas pjs all day, and 12% will be spruced up in their Christmas day best – with only one in five (20%) venturing out for some fresh air and a walk.

Hannah Isitt from GoCompare Home Insurance  said of the findings: “It’s very clear from our research that people are planning to have lots of time at home this Christmas, watching TV, playing games and cooking that all-important Christmas lunch. Although none of us want to think about anything going wrong over the festive period, our reliance on appliances like TVs, ovens and even gaming stations, means that it’s more important than ever to make sure you have adequate insurance should the worse happen.

“I would also urge home owners to do some basic household maintenance checks before Christmas as it’s worth spending some time getting your home winter ready. Any damage that’s caused by wear and tear, or problems caused by a lack of maintenance are among the main reasons for insurers rejecting household claims.

“Check the fine print on contents and buildings insurance to ensure it is fit for purpose. Home insurance generally provides financial protection against damage to your home from things storms, ice and sometimes floods, but what happens if your boiler leaks or your freezer packs up and ruins all your Christmas food?

“While many home contents policies cover freezer contents as standard as well as accidental damage to technology and entertainment systems as standard too, you don’t want any nasty Christmas surprises. Making sure you have your home insurance covered means you can concentrate on having some Yuletide fun with your family without worrying the TV might break down in the middle of the Queen’s Speech.”

For more information on home emergency cover visit: https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/home-emergency-cover/

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Notes to editors

^*1On 5-9^th November an online survey of 2,009 randomly selected Great British adults was executed by Maru/Blue. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.1%. The results have been weighted by age, gender, region and social grade to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.