‘Gross Britain’ as nearly half of Brits take part in filthy ‘sharing’ habit

Brits may be known for their prudish nature, but new research has found that we are more comfortable sharing our valuable items with others — even though we shouldn’t

New research has found that two in five Brits would share some of their most personal items with others. However, it was revealed we would never own up to this in public.

Figures from a survey commissioned by Vodafone and Three found that some 40% of respondents would share their toothbrush with someone else. But strikingly, as soon as this comes to things such as razors or deodorant, this immediately drops.

This is not the only thing that’s disgusting Brits, as over a third of people explained they would not share earphones in any way. However, when it comes to other tech, there is a lot more willingness to share things, such as Wi-Fi.

In their “Share Index”, the two mobile phone companies reached out looking to find where Brits are more and less likely to share their personal items. It comes as Vodafone and Three themselves are now sharing each other’s networks, providing faster speeds for people registered with them.

Findings from the survey, taken from a questionnaire given to 2,000 people, found that when it came to personal hygiene there was a major split in what would be pooled. While toothbrushes were more commonly shared, things such as razors and deodorant were not, with 52% and 46% saying they would not lend these to a pal.

Even more bizarrely, when it came to technology, some Brits were more protective than ever before. According to the figures, some 31% of Brits said they would not let their partner use their phone charger to reboot their mobile, whilst over a quarter (27%) of people said they feel miffed when personal items are used without asking.

When it came to food, this also proved to be a bone of contention for many participants, as over one third of Brits (36%) said they would not share a dessert with their partner. This includes when the couple would be on a romantic date night.

Speaking on the results of the study, Inbetweeners star James Buckley said that Britain needs to loosen up a little when it comes to pairing up and sharing resources. He explained that he himself is not someone who is big sharer of items, but experiences.

“I’m not normally very relaxed about sharing,” he said, “but I do like sharing music with Clair — it’s one of the reasons we got together. And sharing can often make life better, so now Vodafone and Three have combined their network, I don’t even have to think about it, the sharing’s automatic.”

It was not all doom and gloom for Brits, as some things were rife for sharing between several people. The findings added that one in four people believe that a pizza should always be split amongst people, with three in four Brits arguing a portion of chips should be shared.

Speaking on the results of the study, a spokesperson for both Vodafone and Three said: “Our research shows while some things are strictly off-limits for Brits to share, others are simply better when shared — like our networks. By bringing Vodafone and Three’s networks together, we’re giving customers the best of both worlds; more coverage, faster speeds and greater reliability, automatically and at no extra cost — proving it’s better to share.”

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