HAIRY HUNKS FIND MORE FAVOUR WITH BRITISH WOMEN Submitted by: PARSHIP GmbH Tuesday, 12 February 2008 UK women are leading the trend in Europe for the return of the real man. In comparison to women in other European countries, British women are more intensely attracted to a man with body hair and as she gets older her desire for a hairy hunk increases. What’s more Just 11% said they wouldn’t date a follicly challenged man. According to a new survey by online matchmaking firm PARSHIP.co.uk, one in three (34%) British women say they’d go for a man in the classic virile mould of Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan or Tom Jones, outnumbering the one in four women who’d prefer the smoother option offered by current heartthrobs like Daniel Craig, Johnny Wilkinson and Colin Farrell – a look that some might describe as “waxed within an inch of their life”. This is in stark contrast to women in other countries of Western Europe, where 31% prefer hairless heroes and just 22% opt for hirsute. David Hasselhoff might be a star in Germany, but a mere 11% of the country’s women would like the thought of smearing sun cream on his hairy chest. For British women over 30, a hairy man is the acme of masculinity and a smooth body just won’t do. As women get older their desire for body hair in the opposite sex increases. Six in ten (62%) of women over 45 say they find a man with body hair very attractive, compared to just 24% of women under 25. It also happens that a hairy man’s appeal increases the further north you go in the UK – maybe it’s something to do with insulation from cold winds. Of the 6,500 women poled by PARSHIP, it also found that a lack of hair on a man’s head was not an obstacle to UK women. Just 11% said they wouldn’t date a follicly challenged man, compared to 17% of French and 16% of Italian women. Dr Victoria Lukats, psychiatrist and dating expert for PARSHIP.co.uk, commented: “The interesting finding from this survey was that women in the UK, compared to other countries in Europe, are the most embracing of men with either body hair (including hair on the back) and of male-pattern baldness. It's also notable that women are more accepting of male body hair as they yet older – this is just as well since it's well known that testosterone (in combination with genetic factors) leads to both male-pattern baldness and increasing body hair with increasing age. It looks like follicly-challenged men don't have to be self-concious after all – the vast majority of women simply don't see it as an issue.” Hairy hotspots – preference for hairy hunks Scotland – 47% North – 38% South – 35% London – 25% Midlands & Wales – 33% Bald spots - women who wouldn’t date a bald man Page 1 South – 2% Scotland – 4% Midlands & Wales – 12% North – 15% London – 27% -Ends- For more information, a copy of the report or case studies, please contact. Penny Conway Mob: 00 44 (0) 7775 992350 Email: [email protected] About PARSHIP PARSHIP.co.uk, the largest premium online matchmaking service in the UK, is specifically for people who are serious about forming a lasting relationship and is built on a rigorous personality profiling test that determines compatibility. It is the British subsidiary of Europe’s most successful serious online dating service, now with millions of members, predominantly affluent, educated men and women between 28 and 55 years old. Since its launch in Germany in 2001, PARSHIP has matched thousands people who are serious about forming a long-lasting relationship, and it now operates in 14 countries of Western Europe and also in Mexico PARSHIP GmbH is headquartered in Hamburg and is 87%-owned by Holtzbrinck networXs AG, part of the Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group, one of Germany’s largest publishing companies with financial interests in more than 80 companies, including the Macmillan Group. About the 2008 Singles Survey For this study, conducted in October 2007, PARSHIP joined forces with the market research institute Innofact to survey more than 13,000 people aged between 18 and 59, single and in long-term relationships, in 13 Western European countries. The study focuses on the topics of lifestyle, relationships, looking for a partner and online dating, embracing more than 100 different themes. The random sample in each country was identically structured in terms of age and gender, with a 50/50 split between: male and female respondents; single people/partnered people; the 18-39 and 40-59 age groups. The survey covered: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. About Dr Victoria Lukats, MBBS MRCPsych MSc As well as working as a dating expert for PARSHIP, Dr Victoria Lukats is a specialist registrar within the NHS. She graduated with a medicine degree from King's College London in 1998, is a member of the Page 2 Royal College of Psychiatrists and has a Masters Degree in Mental health from King's College London. In addition, she writes an agony aunt column on relationships and dating for a national newspaper and is a spokesperson for Psychologies magazine. 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