For many Britons, change isn’t just an abstract idea—it’s a challenge they’d rather avoid. New research reveals that 86 percent of Brits proudly call themselves creatures of habit.
Take banking, for instance: 38 percent have stuck with the same institution for years, even when they’re less than happy with it.
And it doesn’t stop there. One in five continues to see a doctor they’d rather skip, while 17 percent cling to a broadband provider despite constant complaints.
Digging into history, the study found that 83 percent of respondents can pinpoint changes they’ve struggled to accept.
A standout example? An 18 percent share still can’t let go of the shock when Opal Fruits morphed into Starburst back in 1998.
Other transformations—like swapping pounds and ounces for grams and kilograms (16 percent), turning red passports blue (11 percent), or the lingering memory of shillings giving way to pounds (10 percent)—still leave a mark.
Even modern rebrands aren’t immune. Eighteen percent of the 2,000 Brits surveyed admitted they can’t quite adjust to Twitter’s new name, X.
And in a quirky twist, 14 percent still feel odd calling a Marathon a Snickers, with 38 percent confessing they “never recovered” from that mix-up.
| Historic Change | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Singing ‘God Save Our Gracious King’ instead of Queen | 33% |
| Twitter rebranding to X | 18% |
| Opal Fruits rebranding to Starburst | 18% |
| Lbs and ounces to grams and kilograms | 16% |
| Marathon rebranding to Snickers | 14% |
| Red passports changing to blue passports | 11% |
| Millennium Stadium becoming Principality Stadium | 10% |
| Shillings changing to pounds and pence | 10% |
| Arsenal’s stadium changing from Highbury to Emirates | 10% |
| Doctor Who morphing from Jodie Whittaker to David Tennant | 9% |
| Dime bar changing its name to Daim | 8% |
| Oil of Ulay rebranding to Oil of Olay | 8% |
| Datsun becoming Nissan | 7% |
| Prince changing his name to a symbol | 7% |
| Big Brother switching to Channel 5 | 5% |
It’s not just brands and products that trigger resistance. Over half of those surveyed believe that as we age, our capacity to embrace change diminishes.
This sentiment is echoed in everyday life—68 percent struggle with shifts as subtle as the royal anthem evolving from “God Save Our Gracious Queen” to “God Save Our Gracious King.” In fact, 70 percent insist on sticking with familiar names, even when the official label has changed.
Psychologist Dr Becky Spelman explains it well: “As human beings, we are wired to seek stability. Familiarity provides a sense of security, and when something we’ve known for a long time—whether it’s a brand, a routine, or a cultural tradition—changes, it disrupts that sense of stability.
This reaction is rooted in how our brains form cognitive shortcuts; we associate long-standing names and practices with reliability.
When these change, even in subtle ways, it creates an internal conflict that can lead to discomfort or resistance. However, given time, our brains adjust, and what once felt unfamiliar eventually becomes second nature.”
This love for consistency even spills over into sports. Eighteen percent are still reeling from Ronaldo’s 2021 return to Manchester United, and 16 percent were taken aback when Lewis Hamilton swapped from Mercedes to Ferrari this F1 season.
Not to mention the shockwaves from Beckham’s move to Real Madrid (13 percent), Messi’s switch to Inter Miami (12 percent), and even choices like Greg Rusedski’s and Louis Rees-Zammit’s career pivots.
Dr Becky continues: “Sports create a sense of continuity, and we like to believe that certain players will always be associated with specific teams.
When an icon like David Beckham leaves Manchester United or Lewis Hamilton switches from Mercedes to Ferrari, it disrupts that expectation.
It’s the same psychological reaction people have when a well-loved actor is replaced in a long-running film franchise—it challenges the sense of consistency we subconsciously rely on. The longer someone holds a position, the harder it is to accept a change.”
Unsurprisingly, 52 percent of football fans admitted that watching their favourite player suit up for the opposition is downright disorienting.
When it comes to other changes, many Brits stick with the status quo out of convenience: 40 percent say switching is too much hassle, 29 percent are simply comfortable with what they know, 25 percent find it too time-consuming, and 19 percent worry about offending anyone by making a change.
Still, it isn’t all about resisting the new. A hefty 86 percent of respondents also noted that change keeps life interesting—49 percent relish the chance to welcome something new, 47 percent appreciate the mix-up, and 38 percent believe it adds a bit of spice to everyday life.
On the broadband front, the survey paints a similar picture. Around 23 percent of Brits have been with the same provider for over a decade, despite a strong desire for better pricing (79 percent), faster speeds (43 percent), more reliability (41 percent), or simply a brand they can trust (15 percent).
This comes on the back of Virgin Media being named the best broadband experience by Global Wireless Solutions last year.
With innovations like One Touch Switch making it simple to change providers with just a phone call, perhaps the Brits’ famous resistance to change might finally get a little softer.