London has been crowned the most festive city in the UK, with nearly three-fifths of people declaring Christmas to be their favourite time of year – and half wanting to blast out Christmas tunes EVERY DAY.

Research from Studio.co.uk revealed that a whopping 59% of Londoners believe the festive period to be the most wonderful time of year, compared to just under half (45%) nationally.

Nearly half (46%) of those in the capital have their Christmas decorations already up before the page even turns to December on the calendar compared to less than a third (31%) of the rest of the UK.

Whereas it appears grim up north with just 28% of Mancunians, 20% of those from Warrington and a miserly 9% in Sunderland admitting to putting their decorations up before December.

It seems those north of the border are equally keen to leave the decorations shelved for longer, with Scots preferring to mark the start of the festive season from December 1 onwards, particularly in Aberdeen where just 20% have them up before then.

And nearly half (47%) of Londoners believe it’s acceptable to blast out festive earworms all year round compared to just over a quarter (29%) of people nationally.

Research commissioned by Studio.co.uk quizzed 3,000 UK residents about their Christmas plans and celebrations this year – with many jumping on the #TeamEarly bandwagon.

Much-loved television presenter, broadcaster and actor, Joe Swash said: “For growing families like mine, starting Christmas preparations early is key.

It also means we can celebrate longer and have a fun-packed Christmas to remember.

This year is going to be a huge deal for us all, especially for the families that couldn’t get together last year.

As a Londoner myself, it’s great to see that my hometown has been voted the most festive city.”

It seems Britain no longer plays up to stereotypes of being a nation of binge drinkers, with nearly a quarter (23%) admitting they’d be happy to quit booze for a year to save cash for Christmas.

Of those quizzed, 13% said they’d give up chocolate for the same reason.

In fact, drinking doesn’t even feature in the nation’s top ten favourite things about Christmas, with alcohol scoring a lowly 11th place.

Time with friends and family, food and giving presents clinched the top three spots instead.

The study also reveals that Brits don’t only do Christmas shopping in December, with nearly a fifth of organised Brits (19%) saying they snap-up presents all-year round.

Almost a quarter (22%) of those questioned said they ‘never stop thinking’ about Christmas, with one in four stating they ‘wish it could be Christmas every day’ – just like 70s glam rockers Wizzard.

Chris Chalmers, Marketing Director of Studio.co.uk, said: “The UK has officially joined #TeamEarly this year and the nation is on a mission to make this a Christmas to remember.

“This year is all about people and families getting together and making up for lost time.”

Studio.co.uk is celebrating the UK’s top three most festive cities with a festive roadshow. Each city will be visited by a decked-out Studio bus, with Santa and his elves. Passers-by can win prizes, sing with a choir and help raise money for Studio’s charity partner, Home-Start UK.

The Studio branded tour bus will visit London alongside Joe Swash on 4th November, Birmingham on 5th November and Leeds on 6th November. To get find out how you can join the roadshow and win a whole host of festive prizes, visit www.studio.co.uk/teamearlyroadshow.

TOP 10 MOST FESTIVE CITIES ***

1. London

2. Birmingham

3. Leeds

4. Cardiff

5. Oxford

6. Bristol

7. Liverpool

8. Cambridge

9. Brighton

10. Exeter