BANTER MAKES LOVE BLOOM

If we were to believe what chick flicks taught us about relationships, it would be a stream of constant candlelit dinners, bouquets of roses and romantic walks on the beach … all day, every day.

That said, in reality, modern relationships involve way more night-ins on the sofa – not to mention the daily lighthearted banter.

But if you spend your life wishing your relationship resembled an epic romantic drama rather than episode of Friends, then we have some good news – a new study has found that roasting your other half actually makes your relationship stronger.

Which means Monica and Chandler may have had it right all along.

Researchers at Appalachian State University say couples who “roast each other daily” are more likely to have a longer and happier relationship.

Experts believe that teasing your partner actually highlights the things you love most about them and makes them feel “seen” – which makes for a strong and happy romance in the long term.

Discussing the findings of the study with Cosmopolitan, dating coach Laurel House said: “When you roast each other’s quirks, you are effectively pointing out the little – sometimes ignored – sides to your personalities.

“Those quirks tend to be the things that you love the most about your partner.”

On the other hand, the expert also believes that teasing your partner is a good way to bring up smaller issues you might be having in the relationship - i.e. them not doing the washing up or always needing to be reminded to pick up milk on the way home.

She added: “Bringing up problems in this fashion helps you to softly address the hard stuff. Often times, just by shedding light on an issue can let your partner know you’re not into it.”