Are we a bunch of telly addicts?

Oldham people top the poll for watching the most hours of TV, according to new research.

One in 10 people in Oldham will spend more than 14 years in front of their tellies over the course of a lifetime and 13 per cent claim they cannot live without their favourite programme.

But do Oldhamers agree with the findings? Reporter GEOFF WOOD headed to Oldham Market Hall to find out.

THE research into our TV viewing habits was carried out for Virgin Media, which is launching a search for Britain’s biggest TV fan, and the results suggest the town would be a good place to find the winner.

The survey claims that one third of Oldham folk spend more than 20 hours a week in front of the TV — and it does not seem to matter what they are watching.

And even when we are not glued to our boxes we are still talking about the programmes, as 61 per cent of Oldham TV fans claim last night’s telly regularly forms the basis of conversation with friends and family.

However, we found that while some Oldhamers admitted to watching a lot of TV, others said they were selective and many more argued that they were too busy doing other things in the first place.

Pensioner Joan Atkinson (68), of Royton, said: “I don’t watch the TV too much. I like reading and listening to TV.

“I go to the gym and I have plenty of things to do apart from watching TV.”

Gerard Owen (77), of Oldham, said: “I watch TV quite a lot now I am retired.

“I spend a couple of hours watching it in the afternoon and then a little bit in the evening. But if there is nothing on I just turn it off. But I am selective about what I watch.”

Mother of three Emma Lee, who was born in Liverpool and now lives in Oldham, said: “I really don’t watch for myself — I don’t have the time.

“I watch ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and ‘Dora the Explorer’ and other Cbeebies programmes. But I don’t watch the television after 7pm.”

Tony Stafford, a warehouse manager from Chadderton, said: “I watch TV very little because I am out at work. But my wife watches some TV.

“ But I do like to come home and do the Chronicle crossword puzzle.”

David Maloney was well placed to make comparisons — he has been living in Perth, Australia, for the last ten months with his son, Jake (15).

Returning to Oldham to visit relatives, Mr Maloney, an electrician said: “Judging from the weather here, I am not surprised that people stay in to watch TV.

“And you also wonder whether it is safe to go out in many places.”

But David and Jake may be returning home in the not-to-distant future.

Jake misses Britain despite its weather and misses his friends.

So it may be a return for both of them.

Beverley Leach, of Oldham, confessed: “I am a soap freak. I love watching ‘EastEnders’, Corrie, ‘Emmerdale’ and also the new series of ‘Wire in the Blood’.

“I love to watch them and will tape them when I am out.”

Her daughter, mother of four Nicola Leach (29), from Oldham, said: “I watch quite a lot of TV and I wish I did not watch it as much. I plan to do more things instead.”