C4 survey: drug or alcohol addiction is highest rated dating 'baggage'

21 September 2012

To tie in with the start of brand new dating show, Baggage, Channel 4 today announced the results of its dating survey, which revealed an addiction to drugs or alcohol as the biggest turn-off.

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 was categorised as "not baggage" and 5 was "very large relationship baggage", 85% of respondents stated that an addiction to drugs or alcohol was the biggest baggage, with 4 out of 5 women (82%) saying that a likelihood of a second date would be "massively affected" if these addictions were revealed.

The new dating programme, which is hosted by Gok Wan and airs this evening at 8pm, turns dating on its head by divulging daters baggage before they've even been chosen. From small baggage and surprise secrets to the all-important big revelations, the show celebrates people's quirky traits, allowing them to expose their secrets before the first date.

When questioned about baggage in general, 63% of respondents agreed that ‘everybody comes with some sort of baggage' and when asked if they actually carried any baggage, 70% of respondents stated that they did. 78% of respondents said that they had never lied or consciously hidden any baggage on a first date but from those who had, nearly a quarter (23%) said that they'd never reveal it to their partner - i.e. if they lied at the beginning, they'd never want it to be exposed.

When it came to deciding on that all important second date:

• 37% said that their decision would be "massively affected" if they found out they had cheated in a previous relationship.
• 21% of respondents said that their decision would be "massively affected" if they found out that their potential partner would never get married without a pre-nup.
• 1 in 5 respondents (20%) said that their decision would be "massively affected" if their date was still close friends with their ex-partner.

When the sexes were split, using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 was classed as "not baggage" and 5 was categorised as "very large relationship baggage", a partner having a drug addiction was the most selected baggage by females (92% scoring a 4 or 5), this was slightly less for males (79%). 60% of women found the prospect of a bisexual partner a problem (scoring a 4 or 5), compared to only 37% of men.

• 33% of females would find it difficult (it would massively affect their decision) to date a partner who was separated but not divorced from a previous marriage, compared to 21% of males.
• 45% of women stated that their decision of a second date would be massively affected if a date revealed they had serious financial issues.
• 1 in 5 men (20%) said that it would massively affect their decision to go on a second date if their date was a believer in no sex before marriage. Only 13% of women said that this would affect their decision.

And on top of all that, owning a large number of pets, being hooked on soaps, a terrible taste in music or sleeping with a potential partner's parents won't get daters very far in the dating world either!

The Ipsos MORI research was undertaken between 30th August to 3rd September 2012.  Channel 4's on-line panel questioned a sample of 1,071 nationally representative 16-54 year olds using an on-line questionnaire.