Northern Irish accent is 'sexiest in the UK'
Thursday, 23 October 2008
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James Nesbitt and Christine Bleakley’s Northern Irish twangs are among the UK’s best loved accents, according to a new poll.
James, who comes from Coleraine, came out third in the survey of top male celebrity accents, while Christine’s Belfast brogue earned her fifth place among the females.
And the poll also found that the Northern Irish accent is deemed the sexiest in the UK.
Overall, the most loved was the Geordie lilt, with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole and television hosts Ant and Dec topping the poll.
Other regional accents that proved popular were Cat Deeley’s Brummie, Edith Bowman’s Scottish and Tess Daly’s Lancastrian, as well as Peter Kay’s Lancastrian, Vernon Kay’s Lancastrian and Justin Lee Collins’ Bristolian.
The nation’s worst well-known whines, meanwhile, belonged to Amy Winehouse and David Beckham’s with their Cockney twangs.
Other accents loathed in the list were Colleen Rooney’s (Scouse), Gordon Brown’s (Scottish), Lily Allen’s (Cockney) and Charlotte Church’s (Welsh).
As well as finding that the Northern Irish accent was the sexiest, the survey, conducted by Travelodge, also showed that the most trustworthy is the Yorkshire acent while Brummies have the most boring brogue.
And the survey found that Britons had a better grasp of foreign languages than their own regional expressions.
In the poll of 3,000 people more were able to explain the meaning of wiener (German for sausage) and piazza (Spanish for square) than the Liverpudlian word “scran” meaning food and the Cornish expression “oggies”, meaning pies.
Greg Dawson, a spokesman for Travelodge, said: “Regional accents — whether you love them or hate them — are as diverse as ever in Britian, but it seems we have something of a national communication problem on our hands, as many Brits simply don’t understand some of the UK’s most loved regional dialects.”
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34 Comments
Am lovin' da accents! A must go an check out yer Northern Irish wane, class!
Posted by JS from NI | 27.05.09, 14:35 GMT
What??? I am sorry but the Northern Irish accent has to be the most jarring there is! (Don't mean to be insulting to anyone) A soft Canadian or American accent is the sexiest. In the UK, a beautiful cultured voice is better.
Posted by TJ | 30.01.09, 15:25 GMT
Hey! That's my video! I've made it into the Belfast Telegraph! Grandma will be chuffed! I concur and say the Northern Ireland accent is well sexy, sure it is. Big up to the people of Portrush and Coleraine! A lot of my family are from there!
Plenty more of my delicious face at www.youtube.com/worldaccordingtodunk
Dunk
Posted by Dunk Franklin, Milton Keynes | 02.11.08, 10:45 GMT
I think 'piazza' is Italian for square,not Spanish-that would be, 'plaza'.
Posted by Michael | 27.10.08, 22:22 GMT
Piazza? Square in Spanish is 'plaza'. Get your facts right BT!
Posted by BT Reader | 27.10.08, 20:22 GMT
I am sure I heard that guy in the video speaking Ulster/Scots.
Oh, I am sorry Ulster/Scots isn't an accent, it is a language.
Well, would you Adam and Eve it.
Posted by Trevor | 27.10.08, 20:19 GMT
the ulster lilt is gorgeous, it is much like the scottish lilt but more pervasive in ulster than in scotland.
Posted by Rowan | 27.10.08, 18:05 GMT
Never did me any good, I've had one for 60 odd years and I cant get a dog to bark at me, Picked up one or two HOUNDS in the lonley hearts clubs but don't think it was my accent More to do with buying them Carlsberg specials
Posted by Geordie Kirkpatrick | 25.10.08, 16:49 GMT
Forget the Northern Irish Accent. The Irish Accent must be Sexy in General. I pulled more women in Manchester Pretending I was a Dub, if I put on the Belfast Accent I think the fellas would have been more keen so I stayed away from that one!! Still my good ole Newry Nuk did wonders, that and my good looks !!!!
Posted by Pat Mac | 24.10.08, 15:05 GMT
well McD I think you may have to get on a plane and head for southern england for your accent to have any effect for infiltration of the opposite sex. Not much of a novelty round these parts :-)
Posted by soarer | 24.10.08, 14:54 GMT
Understand your point Soarer, however my comments were based specifically on this article – direct quotes: “James Nesbitt and Christine Bleakley’s Northern Irish twangs” compared to “the Geordie lilt” “Cat Deeley’s Brummie, Edith Bowman’s Scottish and Tess Daly’s Lancastrian, as well as Peter Kay’s Lancastrian, Vernon Kay’s Lancastrian and Justin Lee Collins’ Bristolian.” Why segment the separate English accents, while generalising the Northern Irish accent? Also, take it from someone who knows: most Englishmen cannot place my strong Ballymena accent – generally I am asked what part of Scotland I am from!
Posted by BG | 24.10.08, 14:17 GMT
Then how come I never get any nookie?
Posted by McD | 24.10.08, 14:06 GMT
Unfortunately identifying the word "piazza" as Spanish for square would not be correct - "piazza" is in fact Italian. The word for square in Spanish is "plaza".
I agree absolutely
Posted by John | 24.10.08, 03:01 GMT
My wife and I originally from Belfast have been resident in Australia for almost 40 years. When people here comment 'you hav,nt lost your accent', we reply 'we have not found a better one'
Posted by Jim & Ursula McClure | 24.10.08, 00:53 GMT
I LOVE THE VIDEO!!! its like sick nd that innit. im like 'urban london' cross 'cockney essex accent' lol. the video is like propa funni x
Posted by Kay Bbes | 23.10.08, 23:13 GMT
BG is right. Totally agree. It's hard to imagine any other part of these islands where accent chnages 10-fold on a trip from Belfast to Derry.
As for being sexy? Also had same experience as mrsmoothtongue in England. "Get yer knickers aff, hi!" didn't go down too well. Can't understand it.
Posted by Attilathehun | 23.10.08, 22:03 GMT
I like it. Where can I get the video? The accents are superb. Well done!
Posted by william campbell | 23.10.08, 20:36 GMT
yea we so got da best accent!!!
Posted by scoby90 | 23.10.08, 19:48 GMT
Its just a generalisation BG. If you are from a completely different part of the country it all sounds very much the same unless you actually take care to listen intently. To someone from say England or Wales or wherever heard someone from NI on the tv or film they would recognise it and class it as such. Same as someone from NI may pick up on a 'West Country' accent but they may not be able to identify if its gloucestershire, somerset or Devon which covers millions of people. Same with Geordie or rather the north east accent which as far as I know from my travels up there covers a large geographical area with a very large populace. probably only a local could pinpoint it more accuately and although you say the accents are different they must be very similar in a lot of ways for it to be automatically recognised as such.
Posted by soarer | 23.10.08, 18:32 GMT
This article differentiates between “English” accents – Cockney / Scouse / Geordie. However it is generic in terms of a Northern Irish accent. Would the journalist / or a learned reader please advise what a Northern Irish accent is?? I am from Ballymena, and have been told I have a strong accent, equally a friend of mine was born and reared in East Belfast, and his accent is decidedly different to my ‘culchie twang’ as he “affectionately” calls it. Equally, the Londonderry accent is drastically different to someone from Antrim. James Nesbitt’s Coleraine accent is different to Christine Bleakleys Belfast accent. I don’t think one can be so general as to refer to a Northern Irish accent as a whole – there are definite differences from one town to the next.
Posted by BG | 23.10.08, 16:39 GMT
34 Comments