Spare has been named the most popular book to read on the toilet, according to new research into everyday reading habits.
The memoir by Prince Harry, released in January 2023, topped the list with 10% of the vote, making it the UK’s number one “loo read”. Its informal, anecdotal style appears to make it particularly suited to short bursts of reading.
In second place is How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young, with 9%, narrowly ahead of 1984 by George Orwell. The dystopian classic continues to resonate with readers, even in brief, interrupted sittings.
Fourth place went to A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, followed by Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, completing the top five.
The remainder of the list features a mix of memoirs, fiction, and classics. Being Jordan by Katie Price ranks sixth, while The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown takes seventh place. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen comes eighth, just ahead of My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson and Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.
The survey, commissioned by Cushelle, also highlights how bathroom habits have evolved. While books remain a popular choice, many people now spend their time scrolling through news on their phones, reading digital articles, or browsing magazines. Some even admit to taking phone calls or video chats while in the bathroom.
On average, people visit the toilet six times a day, spending just over five minutes per visit. Over the course of a year, this amounts to roughly seven full days spent in the bathroom. The study also found that individuals make around nine additional visits each week purely to take a break and enjoy a moment of privacy.
For many, the bathroom has become a temporary escape from daily demands. Nearly a third of parents admitted to pretending they need to go in order to get away from their children. Others use the time to avoid partners or step away from colleagues.
The findings underline how even the shortest breaks in the day are increasingly used as opportunities to unwind, disconnect, and catch up on reading—whether through books or screens.
