Dinner party guest? We want Sir David on a plate
IT’S the classic ice breaker question: who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
And it appears that national treasure Sir David Attenborough has come out on top as the nation’s most in-demand guest, a poll reveals.
Family tree company Findmypast asked the public to create a shortlist of ideal dinner guests – dead or alive – and 18% said they’d want the 97-year-old at the table.
Princess Diana was the number two choice, with 17% desperate to meet her, 26 years on from her tragic death in 1997. In joint third place was Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, the late Queen Elizabeth and US comic and actor Robin Williams, who all polled 13%.
Next up was comedian Peter Kay in sixth place with Stephen Fry in eighth, only Jesus Christ in seventh keeping the funnymen apart.
Rock star David Bowie and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe make up the top 10.
The Findmypast survey found that the ideal dinner party guest would be able to keep the conversation flowing (according to 38%) while minding their manners (32%) and bringing fascinating stories to the table (32%).
Having a good anecdote up your sleeve is key too and Sir David (23%), Stephen Fry and Sir Winston Churchill were judged most likely to keep guests enthralled.
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Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsay is top choice to prepare the food with Freddie providing the mood music.
Despite having such a huge range of noteworthy figures available, many would have their mum (26%), dad (23%) or partner (21%) among the guests. And given the choice, some 51% would swap historical heroes for a chat with their own more distant ancestors.
Jen Baldwin, research specialist at Findmypast, said: “It’s comforting to know that even when given such a breadth of options for famous people to spend time with, so many would still prioritise family – near or distant.
“It demonstrates how eager we are to learn more about where we come from.”