Leeds urged to get a grip as northern city rated nation's most unhuggable
New research from Rock Face has crowned Leeds Britain’s most unhuggable city, with nearly one in three locals (27%) going without a squeeze each week.
The city of “no cuddles allowed” pipped Newcastle and Southampton to the top spot, where roughly one in five (22%) of residents also admit to a dry spell in the hug department.
Verbal greetings without touch are preferred by most folk in the Yorkshire city, with 36% opting for this exchange. One in three wouldn’t be caught dead hugging in public, and one in five even steer clear of hugging family members altogether.
Meanwhile one in six admit they can’t even remember the last time they shared a proper cuddle, with Geordies also feeling the frost.
The survey reveals the UK’s great hug divide: one in five blokes go without, compared to one in six women.
And while the over-55s are most deprived of affection, it’s the younger crowd aged 18–34 who are dishing out the most squeezes.
The poll, by men’s care brand Rock Face, quizzed 2,000 Brits on their hugging habits, and found more than one in five Brits in general aren’t comfortable hugging anyone in public.
“It’s amazing what a hug can do for the soul, and it’s amazing how a fresh scent can give you the quiet confidence to lean in for that hug,” said James Wilkinson CEO of Rock Face.