Everybody has at least one friend they secretly hate, new research says

You know that one friend you completely and totally fucking despise? Yeah, don't worry about it – everyone does.

According to a new study, four in ten people have a "friend" they regularly see who they actually can't stand.

The research, commissioned by the Lifestyle channel, polled 2000 Brits and found most have an average of 16 friends – including three they don't get on with.

The study found that a quarter of people have told this person that they don't like them, and half have tried to "phase them out" after a fight.

They found that the most common reasons for disliking your mates included having nothing in common, being too bossy, having different opinions or acting differently while drunk.

Koulla Anastasi, Lifetime channel's director, said: "It is quite surprising to see so many people struggle to get along with others in their own friendship group.

"You end up socialising with people you wouldn’t usually choose as a friend, perhaps through work, friends-of-friends or through your partner."