Eamonn Holmes has revealed what he believes is essential for maintaining a successful relationship.
In an exchange on GB News, Eamonn asked co-host Ellie Costello whether political and religious alignment mattered when she first met her partner Gerard.
He said: “How important is it for instance, when you met Gerard did you look at him and think, what a handsome bloke he is, or did you wonder if he thinks politically, religiously, and in other ways the same as you?”
Ellie responded: “I just thought he was very tall and handsome.”
Eamonn said that all his partners have had similar view to him
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Eamonn asked: “But would his politics and would his views on things have influenced you in some way?”
Ellie said: “Not initially, no, but we do have the same politics. I think it makes life easier if you do. What about you? What do you think?”
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Eamonn said: “I think you’re right. I think any partners I’ve ever had in life, I haven’t deliberately gone looking for it, but I think they think the same as I do it just makes things easier.”
Recent academic findings support Eamonn’s comments as a comprehensive study examining British couples over three decades has revealed that political alignment plays a crucial role in relationship longevity.
The research, titled “Sleeping with the Enemy”, analysed data from the British Household Panel Survey and the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
These extensive surveys tracked not only relationship status but also political preferences and Brexit positions amongst thousands of British couples.
The findings challenge romantic notions that opposites attract, instead demonstrating that shared political values significantly reduce the likelihood of separation.
The statistics paint a stark picture of how political differences affect romantic partnerships.
Couples with opposing party affiliations face a separation risk approximately 38 per cent higher than those who vote for the same party.
This increased risk is comparable to the impact of having different educational backgrounds or divergent religious views.
The annual separation rate for politically aligned couples stands at 0.77 per cent
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The annual separation rate for politically aligned couples stands at 0.77 per cent, whilst mixed-party couples experience a rate of 1.06 per cent.
The Brexit divide proved even more damaging to relationships than party political differences. Couples who disagreed on leaving or remaining in the EU faced a separation rate of approximately 1.8 per cent annually.
This represents a more than 60 per cent increase in the risk of splitting up compared to couples who agreed on Brexit.
In contrast, couples united in their Brexit stance had a separation rate of just 1.1 per cent per year.