Stiff upper lipped Brits now spend more time hugging

London: Far from its image as a nation with a stiff upper lip, Britons are enjoying at least 13 hugs a day.

A research conducted by Nivea found that Britons typically devote 9.5 seconds to every embrace and spend an entire hour per month hugging. It computes to 12.5 hours per year embracing close friends, family members and acquaintances, the Telegraph reported. The survey found 69 per cent of the people turn to their partner for a hug while 14 per cent prefer a close friend and 9 per cent even turn to their mothers. Despite all this, 41 percent still say they want more hugging in their lives. Britons also have a list of celebrities they would want to hug. Based on the survey findings, Nivea came up with a list of most ‘huggable’ male and female celebrities. The males included David Beckham, George Clooney, Dermot O’Leary, Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams. The female celebrities most people wanted a hug from were ‘This Morning’ presenter Holly Willoughby, followed by Cheryl Cole, Lorraine Kelly, Kate Middleton and Nigella Lawson. ANI