16 December 2016
New study reveals uniquely British festive headaches - and its not just about alcohol
Turkey troubles, flat batteries, re-gifting and tasteless neighbours are all likely to burst the seasonal bubble
Peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women ... just so long as they dont drink all the best booze
Magic of Christmas still triumphs despite festive stresses and strains
Research commissioned to mark the launch of Celebrity Advice Bureau on UKTVs entertainment channel W
It may be the most wonderful time of year, but Christmas is not without its own unique stresses and strains according to 87% of British adults who took part in a new study which reveals the top 25 uniquely British dilemmas and quirky irritations most likely to be faced over the festive period.
From cooking Christmas dinner to unwanted presents and arguments over the Queens speech, the study suggests that the festive season is a tinsel-topped minefield, albeit one with lots of fun and games and food and drink in-between.
The survey of 2,000 British adults was commissioned to mark the launch of Celebrity Advice Bureau on UKTVs entertainment channel W which premieres on Monday 19th December, 9pm. The new series sees a cast of celebrities attempt to solve every-day to downright bizarre dilemmas. The study results identify the most common festive problems with advice from comedian Ellie Taylor, one of the agony aunts on the show on how to avoid the festive fall-out. The study found that over half of Brits (52%) struggle with turkey-based troubles such as repetitive leftover turkey meals or finding the bird doesnt fit in the oven, followed by a third (34%) getting stuck without the batteries essential for starting up kids toys and 29% having to fake joy when being given bad presents.
The top 25 Christmas pickles - the seasonal irritations that most cause distress were identified as:
Turkey on repeat - there are only so many leftover buffets that one person can handle, or having cooking challenges like finding the bird doesnt fit in the oven (52%)
Flat Batteries - Forgetting to buy batteries or running out of batteries for the kids toys, when all the shops are closed (34%)
Fake joy - at being given bad presents when you bought them something really nice (29%)
Storage - trying to fit everything into the fridge when your Christmas food order arrives (29%)
New Years Eve plans - working out something to do on New Years Eve (28%)
Boxing Day bargains - Seeing that really expensive present you bought is now half price (28%)
Re-gifting - Receiving an obvious re-gift - spotting youve been re-gifted a present that someone was obviously given the previous year (25%)
Christmas tree envy - Getting the needle because a neighbours Christmas tree is bigger, shapelier and better decorated (25%)
Wi-Fi issues - Wi-Fi problems away from home - Staying with parents/friends/ in laws who have slow Wi-Fi or no Wi-Fi at all (22%)
Recycling - the post Xmas recycling headache - Sorting out all the recycling into the proper bins on Boxing Day (21%)
Dress code - What to wear? A Christmas jumper or the shirt thats just been bought? (15%)
Forgetting a present - Trying to squeeze in last-minute Christmas shopping without anyone noticing youve left it so late (14%)
Boring parties - Staying at a really boring Christmas party because it would be impolite to leave (14%)
Losing the TV remote control amidst all the festive debris - just as the big Christmas special is about to begin (12%)
Tasteless neighbours seasonal displays - getting irked by the neighbours ostentatious exterior decorations (12%)
The Christmas film debate - arguing about which film to watch on Christmas Day. (12%)
Booze hoovers - watching various festive visitors (aka neighbours and in-laws) scoff the most expensive booze, leaving the stuff they bought (12%)
Trashing the presents - throwing out a present amongst the trash by mistake (10%)
The age cut-off for gift-giving - the dilemma over when to stop giving presents to extended family members - age 16, 18 or 21? (10%)
Kids questions - The No-Chimney Conundrum - explaining to the kids how Santa delivers the presents when theres no chimney (or when the fire is lit if there is one) (9%)
Seating plans - The Christmas meal seating plan. Right, whos sitting next to grandma? (8%)
The Queens Speech debate - Debating when - and whether - to watch the Queens annual broadcast to the nation. Must one watch it live? (7%)
Mistletoe - enforced kissing - awkward... (7%)
Designated driver arguments - who is going to stay sober? (5%)
Comedian Ellie Taylor, who stars as a panellist on new series Celebrity Advice Bureau, says:
For many people, Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of year. But the festive period can also bring its own unique stresses and strains. But dont despair: there are solutions to many - if not all - of these issues.
Why not postpone the big family get together by a few days and save cash by buying the majority of your gifts in the sales - who doesnt love receiving polyester Santa Stop Here socks on December 28th? Also, remember you can always re-gift rubbish presents to any rubbish people plus the most important tip of all, avoid wasting your best booze on uninvited guests by serving exotic holiday liqueurs that have been languishing in the back of the cupboard - nothing gets a party started like some 110% proof Ouzo from Kavos circa 2002.
Celebrity Advice Bureau airs Monday 19th December-Wednesday 21st December at 9pm on W
For more information, please contact - Gem Pinkney, Publicist
About W Sky 109/245, Virgin 124/191, BT & TalkTalk 407 On demand on Sky and Virgin W is UKTVs premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of original factual entertainment formats - ON, Get Me To The Church, Honey I Bought the House - alongside the gold standard of shows fr
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
16 December 2016 
