Vanessa Feltz has spoken about one of her 'most rewarding' friendships, which she says can 'enrich our lives'. The broadcaster opened up about her bond with former Strictly Come Dancing partner James Jordan, highlighting the value of connections that span generations.
Friendship Spanning 16 Years
Feltz and Jordan have remained friends since being paired together on the dancing show, regularly spending time together despite their 16-year age gap. The duo have partnered with AXA UK to showcase the positive impact of cross-generational friendships.
Feltz said: "Some of the most rewarding friendships are the ones that span generations because they bring together different perspectives, experiences and ways of looking at the world."
"Whether you're sharing stories over a coffee, tackling a challenge together or simply catching up on life, those shared experiences have a way of bringing people closer, regardless of age."
Poll Reveals What Unites Generations
A poll of 2,000 adults found family events (65%), sport (55%) and food (51%) are most likely to bring different age groups together. Political views (32%), social media (29%) and fashion (22%) are most likely to divide them.
The research, commissioned by AXA UK, found six in 10 have friends from other generations, while 75% said they will always make time to speak to those older than them and learn from them.
Benefits of Cross-Generational Connections
The study found 35% rarely or never spend time with people who are 15 years younger or older than them. Learning new perspectives (42%), sharing skills and knowledge (39%) and becoming more open-minded (27%) were named as the biggest benefits of those who do.
Nearly half (49%) said they enjoy activities more when they include people from different age groups. Apart from work (34%) and family events (33%), Brits tend to spend the most time with people outside their generation at sporting events (15%) and in the pub (14%).
Music was also popular, with 46% agreeing it traditionally brings people of all ages together. More than a third (36%) said the government should prioritise expanding opportunities for on-the-job training and skills development, and 80% said better sharing of skills between employees of different ages can improve productivity and support economic growth.
Tara Foley, CEO of AXA UK & Ireland, which created 'the generational dividend report', said: "Every generation has something valuable to offer."
"Bringing people of different ages together strengthens not only families, but our workplaces and communities too. It creates opportunities for experience and fresh thinking to meet, and for all of us to learn from one another."
The top 10 most common grounds between generations are family events, sport, food, music, hobbies, relationships, travel, films/TV, work and social media.
