Blokes are even greater curtain-twitchers than ladies – similar to iconic comedy character
Men are secretly just like Harry Enfield creation Michael Paine with millions regularly peeping on their neighbours – even more than their better halves
Men are bigger curtain-twitchers than women – with millions admitting to being like comedy character Michael Paine.
New findings have revealed that blokes are the nosiest neighbours and admit to regularly snooping on next door. Around 8% of chaps confessed they loved to secretly spy – just like the skit from the 90’s Harry Enfield and Chums TV sketch.
The character, played by comedian Paul Whitehouse, became known for his “my name is Michael Paine, and I’m a nosy neighbour” catchphrase.
Most fellas admitted they were driven to peek on their neighbours from the comfort of their own home because they hate them. The number is higher than women, with 5% of females saying they regularly have a nosy at what they’re up to.
Sheila Norton, 46, from Liverpool, said she was sick of the stereotype of women being bigger gossips than men.
She said: “My husband is way worse than me, he’d spend all day peeping through the curtains watching everyone else’s comings and goings.
“The second I walk through the door its, ‘so and so has got a new car’, or ‘you wouldn’t believe who her at number 4 had over today’. It drives me mad.”
The survey, commissioned by curtain specialists Hillarys, found a whopping 4.5 million Brits loathe their neighbours so much that they snoop.
Mancunians were named as the biggest offenders, followed by folk in Sheffield and Newcastle. Some 9% said they spy purely for gossip, whilst 6% keep tabs to monitor their neighbours’ shopping habits.
Others say they do it because they suspect an affair and one in 20 said it was because they had a secret crush.
If you can’t see the poll above, click here
Yvonne Keal, spokesperson at Hillarys, said: “It’s of no surprise to learn that Brits are a nation of curtain twitchers, as many of us are inherently nosy and love having a peak at what the neighbours are up to, whether we like to admit it or not.
“It can be a case of simply wanting to keep an eye on the street, being unintentionally nosy, or to simply gain some good old neighbourhood gossip.
“That said, in the UK we truly value privacy and our own space, but this human tendency to be nosy and observe others is more common than we might care to admit.
“There’s a strangely alluring curiosity about what is going on behind closed doors – or curtains – they can act as great cover for those looking to sneak a peak at what their neighbours are getting up to.”
