THE average Brit met their best friend at age 19 – with one in 10 having had the same one since they were 10 years old.
The research of 2,000 UK adults revealed 22 per cent met genuine friends for life between the ages of 11 to 15, making school the ultimate friendship factory.
Classrooms were the birthplace of 37 per cent of these best-friend connections, especially among and , while 17 per cent found their forever friend on the job.
Trust (67 per cent), support through tough times (53 per cent), and a shared sense of humour (41 per cent), were identified as the glue that helps best friends stay together.
To mark National Best Friends Day, placed a 3.8m high and 3.5m wide ice cream tub in Potters Field Park, London, to invite pals to share a snack together.
Gemma Mattison, a spokesperson for Ferrero UK & Ireland, makers of the spread, said: “Best friends are the people we laugh with, lean on, and share life’s little moments with – and that’s something worth celebrating.”;
But remaining close isn’t as easy as it once was – a third of those polled think it’s harder to maintain adult friendships as they only manage to meet up with their best pals a few times a year (22 per cent).
Just 13 per cent see their best friends on a weekly basis, and 17 per cent leave it as long as a year in between catch ups.
And it seems busy life schedules are to blame, with 46 per cent believing it’s because people are more unavailable now, so it is harder to find time to connect.
Food continues to be a key ingredient to great friendships and spending time together, as almost half (45 per cent) maintain contact by going out for brunch and breakfast with their mate.
According to the OnePoll study, ice cream tops the list as the ultimate friendship dessert; 27 per cent of Brits say it would be their forever go-to with their best friend, followed by chocolate cake (20 per cent) and cheesecake (16 per cent).
The study also uncovered 13 per cent of adults aged over 65 have more than five best friends, whereas only six per cent of Gen Z has the same number.
Almost half of the silent generation said they made their best friends after the age of 35, with one in 20 holding onto relationships from six to 10 years old.
