Almost three quarters (72%) of millennials say they’ve been cut off by a potential partner, with a total of 27 million Brits1 saying they’ve experienced same dating trend, where their date or partner completely disappears without any explanation, across all generations.
The study by Paddy Power Bingo, uncovers the reasons why people go quiet on their dates, the regions who are the worst offenders and when is best to keep your guard up when dating.
Across both genders, women are most likely to ignore their partner without reason, with nearly two fifths (38%) of women admitting to ghosting a previous partner, compared to 30% of men.
Depending on where you live can also increase your chances of falling victim to ‘ghosting’, with 45% of Londoners brutally cutting off former flames and people in Yorkshire (27%) being more upfront with how their feeling.
Top five regions who admit to ghosting someone
| Rank | Region | Proportion of people |
| 1 | London | 45% |
| 2 | South West | 39% |
| 3 | Northern Ireland | 38% |
| 4 | South East | 35% |
| 5 | Wales | 35% |
Bottom five regions who admit to ghosting someone
| Rank | Region | Proportion of people |
| 1 | Yorkshire | 27% |
| 2 | East Anglia | 28% |
| 3 | Midlands | 30% |
| 4 | North West | 30% |
| 5 | North East | 32% |
The data also suggests that Brits are quick to cut people off without giving them a chance, as over one sixth (16%) of ghosting occurs even before meeting the person for a date. Whilst this may seem harsh, one in ten (10%) wait for a relationship to blossom for two or more years until they decide to cut them out of their lives. Ouch.
When asked how they felt after ghosting someone, a large proportion said they felt relieved (30%), before feeling an ounce of guilt (30%) and over a sixth said they didn’t care (16%). A fifth (20%), however, said they felt ashamed of their actions.
When disclosing why Brits ‘ghost’, most wanted to avoid an awkward conversation (35%), whereas others didn’t fancy their date (28%) and almost a fifth (19%) developed an ick, causing them to cut and run.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power Bingo who told us…..
“We know that ghosting can be an unfortunate and common theme in dating and relationships these days, but knowing that people don’t even give the chance of a first date is just bizarre to us!
Given the fact that almost half of Brits have fallen victim to a ‘ghosting’ and many won’t make it on a first date before it happens, we reckon it’s best to keep your guard up, at least until the first date is over!”
