LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 12/14/12 -- We are a nation in need of laughter as Britain's top comedians including Stephen Fry, Paddy McGuiness, Miranda Heart, Paul O'Grady and Alan Carr dominate this year's Travelodge ideal Christmas lunch guest poll.
For the first time ever royalty, celebrity chefs and musicians have been snubbed in favour of our most loved comedians. In a quest for more laughter this year's poll leads with Stephen Fry, renowned for entertaining his five million Twitter followers with his intellectual wit and humorous tales. The comedian, also known as one half of the duo 'Fry & Laurie', moved up from last year's number two spot to this year's number one position.
In second place the nation opted to keep their light-on for 'Take Me Out' host Paddy McGuinness as their ideal Christmas dinner guest. Famous for his 'Paddy-isms' on his dating show, the Bolton born comic beat his sidekick, Peter Kay, who debuted much further up the list at number seven this year.
In third place Britons choose the self acclaimed 'giant' of comedy and award winning comedienne Miranda Hart, star of BBC Two's Sitcom 'Miranda' to join them for the most important meal of the year.
Other comedians making the top 10 ranking of ideal Christmas guests were Liverpudlian Paul O'Grady who reached fourth place followed by flamboyant comic and TV presenter Alan Carr. Taking sixth place was stand up comedian Russell Brand.
Stephanie Davies, Behavioural strategist & Author of Laughology: the science of laughter to improve your life commented on the research findings: "It's no surprise that Britons have chosen some of the UK's most popular comedians as their ideal Christmas dinner guests. This year has been a tough year and we are all in need of a belly full of laughter.
"Keeping your sense of humour and, most importantly having a good laugh, are important. Laughter is a natural way to release tension and creates happy hormones called endorphins. These help us to feel better, they make bonding with people easier and they help us relax - resulting in the perfect mindset to be in when we sit around the table enjoying Christmas lunch with our families.
"My top tip for avoiding any tension at the dinner table on Christmas Day is to remember to find the humour perspective and step back from a situation, take a deep breath and imagine how the scene might be played out in a sitcom. I always think of The Royle family and their comedy Christmas dinners, the reason why we find those programmes funny is because most of us can relate to them."
"My favourite Christmas joke is there are two snowmen in a field: one looks at the other one and says "can you smell carrots!?"
Outside of the comedians, the only other personalities to enter the chart were TV's golden girls Lorraine Kelly in eighth place and Holly Willoughby in ninth place. Completing the list and taking tenth place was Geordie princess Cheryl Cole.
The 2012 ideal Christmas dinner poll is listed below:
1. Stephen Fry2. Paddy McGuinness3. Miranda Hart4. Paul O'Grady5. Russell Brand6. Alan Carr7. Peter Kay8. Lorraine Kelly9. Holly Willoughby10. Cheryl Cole
