Brits love a split: Beyonce’s break from Destiny’s Child, household chores and A-List breakups amongst the things Brits say gets better after a split

• Beyonce, Harry Styles, George Michael and Robbie Williams were amongst the top artists that Brits believed got better after going solo
• Those surveyed agreed that household chores, bills, food and drink were best split
• Brits also claim that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt fared better than Kim and Kanye after their break ups
• More than a decade after O2 split its mobile contracts into two – one part for minutes and data and the other part for the handset – it’s warning consumers they could be overpaying for their phone if they don’t split their contract

From the Gallagher brother’s split and Beyonce going solo, to sleeping arrangements and bills, new research reveals the things Brits believe are better after a split.   

Coming in at number one, the public ranked Beyonce’s split from Destiny’s Child (25%) as their favourite band split, with George Michael’s departure from WHAM! following closely behind (24%).

Robbie leaving Take That (23%), Harry Styles splitting from One Direction (20%) and Justin Timberlake saying bye bye bye to N’sync (19%) finish off the top five, with Liam Gallagher’s split from Oasis and Rachel Stevens’ departure from S-Club Seven viewed as less welcome splits backed by just 7% and 3% of people.

When it comes to household bills and chores, Brits look to share the load with 76% preferring to split their domestic duties. The heart of the home is often in the kitchen so it’s no surprise to learn people reported pizza (25%) and wine (24%) were also better split with their nearest and dearest over dinner.

And as a silver lining from a relationship breakup, one in six (17%) report getting a better night’s sleep after splitting from their partner.

Celebrity couples also featured, with Brandgelina – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (17%) – and Benifer – Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt (17%) – top of the public’s list of break ups that left both parties better off. Kim and Kanye (16%), Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde (10%) as well as Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande (8%) were also top contenders for splits happening for the better.

This research comes as Virgin Media O2 warns that millions are overpaying for their smartphones because they’re not on split contracts – a problem costing UK consumers £530m per year.

Split contracts separate the cost of the device from the cost of the airtime (date, minutes and texts), meaning that as soon as a customer has paid for their device, they will no longer be charged for it each month.

Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Media O2 said: “As a massive One Direction fan, I have to say seeing Harry Styles leave the band was tough, but as we know, a split can be for the best.”

“When we split our mobile contracts into two more than a decade ago, we gave customers certainty that they’d never overpay for their handsets with O2.

“But with millions of Brits collectively spending £530m paying for phones they already own, we’re sounding the alarm on this smartphone swindle and shouting loud and proud about when it’s best to split.”

To find out more about Virgin Media O2’s Stop the Smartphone Swindle find out more here.

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Results are based on an independent online survey conducted by CensusWide on behalf of Virgin Media O2; n=2000 members of the UK population.

Top 10 artists that Brits report got better after their split –

1. Beyonce leaving Destiny’s Child
2. George Michael leaving WHAM
3. Robbie leaving Take That
4. Phil Collins leaving Genesis
5. Harry Styles leaving One Direction
6. Justin Timberlake leaving N’sync
7. Diana Ross leaving The Supremes
8. Pharrell Williams leaving NERD
9. Sting leaving Police
10. Gwen Stefani leaving No Doubt