The festive party season may be behind us but juicy office gossip is still very much dominating the topic of conversation. Research out today from Florida grapefruit reveals that 70% of the nation spends an hour or more gossiping everyday, with the workplace being named as the number one place to spread a rumour. But at what cost?

With the research showing that Brits are more likely to gossip in the workplace than check emails, it has been calculated that the average Brit earns a juicy £2,814.26 a year whilst gossiping at the water cooler.

What’s more, sharing juicy gossip isn’t just about a chat over breakfast, the results show that Facebook and Twitter are the number one places to source our daily gossip.  With 75% of the nation spending an hour or more on Facebook or Twitter every day, social media now plays a significant role in the way in which juicy gossip is being spread.

Lucy Mapstone, MSN Celebrity Editor commented: “Sharing juicy gossip is a way for us to escape the monotony of our everyday lives so we shouldn’t feel guilty about doing it. Although celebrity gossip continues to grow in popularity, this research shows that we actually spend most of our time gossiping about our colleagues – it’s no surprise really when we spend the majority of our time in the workplace. The scandal and love lives of others is always going to be of interest to us and I think at some point we’ve all indulged in some juicy work gossip!”

Although gossiping often gets a bad reputation, nutritionist Dr. Sarah Schenker says, “This research by Florida grapefruit reveals some really interesting statistics about the fact that indulging in everyday gossip can in fact be good for us, and in my experience people often enjoy a gossip at mealtimes. Of course it’s my job to help people understand good nutrition and encourage them to have a balanced diet and eat plenty of fruit and veg, including the most juicy ones like grapefruit!”

Most gossiped subjects of 2011: