Six in ten Brits secretly dread social arrangements and admit feeling genuine elation when a friend cancels on them, a new survey has found.
Staying in is definitely the new going out for lazy Brits who have no qualms about lying to their friends to swerve an evening engagement.
As many as 61% of the nation confess they secretly dread meeting up with friends in the pub or a restaurant with the same number admitting they feel genuine happiness when the other person cancels on them.
A cunning 37% admit to feigning disappointed when plans get cancelled, when really, they are delighted.
Overall, a quarter (24%) regularly tell porkies, as to why they can’t meet up, with 54% saying they simply prefer the peace and quiet of their own home, to having to go out and be chatty.
Topping the list of excuses for late-cancelling, was the classic “I’m coming down with a nasty cold” (37%). Pretending to have a sniffle you might pass on to your friends is the number one excuse Brits use to cancel a dinner date or meet up with pals.
Being “shattered and run down” (34%), “totally skint” (30%) or having to “work late” (29%) are among other common fibs.
More dramatic excuses include bouts of food poisoning (13%), broken down cars (9%), sick kids (21%), plumbing emergencies (4%), lost car keys (3%) and even funerals (3%).
The research from Just Eat discovered cold and rainy weather (38%) and the hassle of getting ready (35%) were the top two reasons Brits would prefer to be plonked on the sofa.
One in five (22%) admit they don’t like the noise of a crowded pub or restaurant and said that socialising outside of the home is ‘hard work’.
Eight out of ten people questioned by Perspectus Global in March 2025.in the survey commissioned by takeaway app Just Eat said they prefer a night in to a night out with ordering your favourite takeaway (53%), curling up on a comfy sofa (42%), snuggling with your partner (38%) and chocolate (36%), considered must haves for the perfect night in.
And almost a third (30%) say a perfect night means staying in on their own.
Just Eat has partnered with TikTok comedian Shabaz Ali to launch a new ‘Canc-elation’ service’, delivering hilarious instant excuses through the app’s Ai Assistant chatbot, which can be shared with friends to gracefully bow out of plans.
Despite best efforts, a third (30%) have been caught out using a lie, resulting in 30 percent saying their friends and family laughed about it when they found out.
Shabaz Ali, Just Eat’s Canc-elation King and TikTok Comedian said: “I’m totally guilty of last minute-flaking, but I’m clearly not the only one.
“We’ve all tried to swerve plans with a dodgy excuse, but now you can have a laugh at the same time with our excuse generator, complete with excuses crafted by yours truly. There’s no shame in admitting a night curled up on your sofa beats a night on the town.”
Users can quickly generate an excuse using the in-app Ai Assistant chatbot by entering ‘Help me bail’, and to celebrate, 1000 £20 vouchers will be up for grabs via the service this Thursday, 20th March to Monday 24th March.