Barack & MIchelle Obama
As the woman behind the baker of exceedingly good cakes, Mrs Kipling, appears on our TV screens for the first time this week, research shows Barack and Michelle Obama as the couple most Brits feel has the strongest marriage (49 per cent), with Jamie and Jools Oliver coming in second (31 per cent).
The research by Mr Kipling cakes shows how Michelle Obama is felt to provide the strongest support to her husband (57 per cent), followed by Sarah Brown (21 per cent), Jools Oliver (15 per cent) and Victoria Beckham (14 per cent).
Cohabiting couples identified Jamie and Louise Redknapp as the couple they most aspire to be like (27 per cent) however for all other Brits, Barack and Michelle topped the chart (31 per cent), followed by Jamie and Jools Oliver (21 per cent).
81 per cent of those surveyed confirmed they think a man is more capable of doing his job well with a strong woman behind him but 77 per cent of those surveyed believe a happy marriage is more important than a successful career. However, 45 per cent of singles said it mattered that their partner was successful.
Rachel Moss, spokesperson for Mr Kipling comments:
"We’ve grown up with the saying that behind every great man is a great woman and our research suggests it still stands true."
The research also shows how we are a romantic nation at heart with love declared as the best reason to get married (89 per cent).
More realistically, love (53 per cent), financial reasons (15 per cent) and pregnancy (13 per cent) were cited as the top three real reasons why people get married today. Those in favour of marriage cited 24-30 years old as the perfect age to make the jump.
Psychotherapist and health writer, Christine Webber comments:
"We live in an increasingly complex world, and as a consequence, we also yearn for understanding and safety. Men in particular may wish to appear all-powerful in their careers, but at home, they want to feel safe and protected in the arms of a loving and strong woman.
"Marriage rates may be at an all-time low, but I don’t believe this means that marriage is outdated. Instead, I think it shows that we take marriage more seriously than perhaps we have in recent decades and also that we actually think beyond the wedding day more than we used to.
"Nowadays, we seek a number of compatible qualities, the main ones being: love, trust, companionship and humour. And when we find them in the shape of a partner, we want to be with him or her, even if we don’t want to marry."
Singles looking for love, Jennifer Anniston (37 per cent) and Peter Andre (37 per cent), are the celebrities most Brits feel could do with a strong partner to support them, closely followed by divorcee Amy Winehouse.
The results suggest that men looking for marriage would do well to think carefully on their choice of engagement ring, with seven per cent of women confirming they would be persuaded to say yes to a proposal they weren’t sure about if offered a big diamond. Sadly, one in ten of those questioned were disappointed by how they were proposed to.
Celebrity couples felt to have a strong marriage:
1. Barack and Michelle Obama (49 per cent)
2. Jamie and Jools Oliver (31 per cent)
3. Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan (26.7 per cent)
4. Gordon and Sarah Brown (25.7 per cent)
5. Jamie and Louise Redknapp (24.6 per cent)
6. Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman (22.6 per cent)
7. David and Samantha Cameron (22.5 per cent)
8. David and Victoria Beckham (20.5 per cent)
9. Elton John and David Furnish (16.5 per cent)
10. Gordon and Tana Ramsay (11.4 per cent)
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