Britain's biggest turn-offs, from poor personal hygiene to bad manners
More than half (55%) of UK adults say poor personal hygiene gives them 'the ick' in relationships or potential partners, among many other turn-offs, new research finds.
Doing drugs (46%) and having bad manners (37%) also follow closely as some of the least attractive qualities in someone.
Plus, people who talk about their ex (26%) and drink a lot of alcohol (25%) are enough to be completely off-putting, according to the study of 2,083 Brits.
And while social media is a huge part of many of our lives, being prominent online (6%) and replying to messages quickly (2%) are still found 'ick-worthy' by some.
Read more: How an orgasm affects your body and mind for the following 60 minutes
The ick doesn't just cause a cringeworthy feeling, but can lead to break-ups, the research by Lovehoney unearths.
Almost half of women have ended a relationship because of the uncontrollable reaction, and as many as 60% said they'd never come back from it.
But what actually is the ick and does it really mean doomsday for all couples?
"When we get ‘the ick’, it’s something that challenges our internal belief systems that have often been put into place a long time ago from upbringing and social influences," explains sex and relationship expert Ness Cooper.
"This also makes it pretty hard to move past, as while our focuses are changing in the relationship, we also notice the differences in feel-good hormones that start to wane after the initial honeymoon period.
"The 'ick' can put us off performing our normal relationship routines and activities that make us feel connected.”
Read more: Half of single people over the age of 65 watch porn every day plus other sex secrets
Cooper's top tips for learning to overcome the 'ick':
Challenge our internal belief systems: This can be hard to do due to the fear of losing part of our own identity and the relationship
Make sure to connect: Connecting in ways that make you feel good is crucial. It can be off-putting if you do have the ‘ick’, but if you’re dead-set on maintaining the relationships, this is essential
Communicate effectively: Sometimes the ‘ick’ can simply be a miscommunication of love languages, so speak to your partner about their love language to make sure you understand what speaks to each other’s heart
Know when to move on: Sometimes if you’re feeling really put off, it’s not the ‘ick’ and is a gut reaction to something bigger. It may be that the relationship just isn’t right for you
Read more: Unequal libidos: What to do when your sex drives are out of sync
Of course, a relationship is far more likely to work if you turn your partner on, rather than off, more consistently.
It seems the most appealing traits in a partner are good hygiene (63%), being respectful (48%) and having good manners (43%). And, according to the research, 37% of men are turned on by open-mindedness in the bedroom, compared to just 15% of women.
But if your partner isn't living up to these and have given you the ick, the good news is we've learnt there are ways to overcome it. It's just up to you whether it's worth getting over that time they didn't brush their teeth or dropped food down their chin while eating.
Watch: Love Island's Josh Le Grove rejected Danica Taylor because she gave him the ick
