A fifth of Brits favour a 'PC dinner'

The growth of web TV services has resulted in the traditional 'TV dinner' being replaced by the "PC dinner" for almost a fifth of British people, according to new research conducted by SeeSaw.

Seesaw, the video on-demand website owned by transmission firm Arqiva, found that 60% of Brits confess to have eaten their evening meal in front of the computer, with a fifth (21%) doing so on a regular basis. More than half of the 2,000 respondents surveyed also admitted to enjoying "laptop lunches".

Nearly one in five of those polled (19%) claimed that they were now more likely to eat their dinner in front of the computer than the television. The favourite PC dinner programme for women was EastEnders, while for men it was Top Gear. Channel 4's Come Dine With Me was the most popular choice across both genders.

For 23% of respondents surveyed the PC has now replaced the television as their main source of evening entertainment. Almost a third of Brits (31%) confess to using the web while on the toilet, while two thirds (67%) surf while in bed. The average time spent online in the evening for UK adults was just under two hours.

Interestingly, a primary source of arguments among 10% of couples surveyed was about control over the computer rather than the TV remote.

John Keeling, platform controller for SeeSaw, said: "This incredible research shows how millions of British people cannot tear themselves away from the internet, even for dinner.

"The growth of the PC dinner is a remarkable new trend and for many across the nation, has now replaced the traditional TV dinner.

"The relentless growth of technology means that Brits now enjoy many of their programmes online and who better to eat your evening meal with than Jeremy Clarkson or the cast of EastEnders?"