Gladiators ready, I am a Faithful and Sent from iPhon crowned the most iconic TV phrases of the last year
Gladiators ready, I am a Faithful and Sent from iPhon crowned the most iconic TV phrases of the last year
- New research from Sky unveils the most popular and meme-worthy phrases from TV in the last year, as well as timeless favourites including ‘How you doin?’, ‘Soggy bottom,’ and ‘I’ve got a text’
- 85% of people admit to quoting TV phrases in everyday life. To celebrate this, a selection of the top quotes such as ‘Be honest’, ‘Winter is coming’, and ‘Here’s one I made earlier’ have been added to Sky TV’s voice control glossary
- TV phrases have found their way into social culture, with over a third (37%) of survey participants sending their friends and family TV memes on social media. In fact, a quarter (24%) believe there is a TV phrase and GIF for every occasion.
- Stars Ashley and Jordan Banjo recreated some of TV’s most beloved moments in their living room, while TV personality Gyles Brandreth reveals why these phrases have resonated with the TV loving British public
Sky has revealed the most meme’d, quoted, and repeated phrases from TV in the last year, with ‘Gladiators ready’ (Gladiators, 19%), ‘I am a Faithful’ (The Traitors, 15%) and ‘Sent from iPhon’ (Baby Reindeer, 14%) topping the list. It has been an incredible year of television, with quotes from our favourite shows sparking cultural trends, cropping up in everyday language and in our social newsfeeds; from ‘Be honest’ (Beckham) t-shirts to ‘I think I love you’ (Love Is Blind,)TikTok trends.
Top 10 Most Iconic TV Phrases of the Year:
(October 2023-2024)
- Gladiators ready – Gladiators 2024 (19%)
- I am a Faithful – Traitors (15%)
- Sent from iPhon - Baby Reindeer (14%)
- Give Over! – Brassic (12%)
- Be honest – Beckham (12%)
- I think I love you - Love is Blind (10%)
- Yes Chef! - The Bear (9%)
- I’m the daddy - I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (9%)
- Dearest gentle reader – Bridgerton (8%)
- No war so bloody as a war between dragons - House of the Dragon (7%)
The research also revealed the most popular classic lines from the small screen, finding ‘Lovely jubbly’’ (Only Fools and Horses, 37%), ‘How you doin’? (Friends, 22%) and ‘Get outta my pub’ (Eastenders, 14%) amongst those most commonly quoted by the British public.
TV phrases have found their way into social culture, with 37% of survey participants sending their friends and family TV memes on social media, while 22% can often be found messaging TV phrases, clips and GIFs on WhatsApp or text.
In fact, 24% believe there is a TV phrase and GIF for every occasion.
Four in ten (38%) admit they regularly quote phrases from their favourite TV shows – an average of ten times a month – so much so that a quarter (24%) believe they are now part of everyday life and have helped shape modern day language (15%).
The power of TV phrases is so strong that four in ten (40%) have even quoted a line from a show that they’ve never watched.
Sky is celebrating these unforgettable lines by adding a selection into Sky TV’s voice control glossary, making it easier than ever to dive into beloved shows and relive iconic scenes. To try out the new commands, simply say ‘Be honest’, ‘Dearest gentle reader’ or ‘Give over!’ into your Sky Glass or Sky Stream remote to bring up the shows. New voice commands also include classic TV lines that have become iconic in our everyday language, including ‘Here’s one I made earlier’ (Blue Peter), and ‘Winter is coming’ (Game of Thrones).
Diversity duo and TV fans Ashley and Jordan Banjo have recreated some of their favourite TV phrases from the list to show the new Sky voice control additions in action. Head to their social pages to see their own tongue in cheek interpretations of Be honest (Beckham) and Winter is coming (Game of Thrones).
Gyles Brandreth, Sky TV Sofa Critic says: “I love this new addition to the Sky voice control feature. It brings such fun to my viewing experience! As my anticipation builds for my evening programme, I can really get into character as I huskily growl into my remote control… ‘Winter is coming…’ and the full Game of Thrones collection is brought up on my Sky Glass TV! Slippers at the ready, I delve into another great night of entertainment.
“Television has become a central part of time with our loved ones; we have created TV rituals, it fuels talking points in our everyday chatter, at dinner parties and on social media. Hearing David Beckham call out Victoria with his little Be honest around the door on the Beckham documentary was such a moment on TV this year, and look at what happened – it blew up on social media. They are selling ‘my dad has a Rolls Royce’ t-shirts in Camden market – these little moments catch like wildfire!”
Ben Case, Managing Director, Sky TV says: “TV makes up a big part of our cultural identity, with many modern and classic lines from shows finding their way into our vocabulary and social media feeds. 85% of us say we’ve used a quote from a TV show in conversation, demonstrating the real power of TV in shaping the zeitgeist. We’re celebrating this by adding some of the most iconic phrases to our Sky TV voice control glossary, so viewers can find the shows they’re from in a new, fun way.”
As we cosy into winter, the new voice commands on Sky TV are making it easier than ever to recap our favourite shows together at home. Almost 50% of the UK admits to rewatching their favourite shows up to nine times. But the TV love doesn’t stop there, as popular TV phrases have penetrated the cultural dialect and become part of our everyday language for many of us. In fact, 85% of people in the study say they’ve quoted a phrase from a TV programme.
Notes to editors:
The Top 10 most popular classic TV phrases
- Lovely jubbly - Only Fools and Horses
- D’oh - The Simpsons
- Here's one I made earlier - Blue Peter
- How you doin’? - Friends
- Get outta my pub! - Eastenders
- You're fired! - The Apprentice
- Live long and prosper - Star Trek
- Winter is coming - Game of Thrones
- Soggy bottom - Great British Bake Off
- I’ve got a text - Love Island
Full list of this year’s iconic phrases, and the all-time classics that have been added to the Sky TV voice command glossary:
- Give over - Brassic
- Be honest – Beckham
- Dearest gentle reader – Bridgerton
- You live to work. We work to live - Emily in Paris
- Whatever grows together, goes together - The Bear
- I am a Faithful – The Traitors
- Why tell a dead man the future? - Shogun
- I wish humans had a chin zip - Baby Reindeer
- Are you five – Mary & George
- No war so bloody as a war between dragons – House of the Dragon
- Lovely jubbly – Only fools and horses
- Here's one I made earlier – Blue Peter
- We were on a break! - Friends
- Get out of my pub - Eastenders
- Winter is coming – Game of Thrones
- Live long and prosper – Star Trek
Survey
The survey results are based on 2,000 participants from across the UK. TV phrases used in this research were sourced from online searches and public social data. In order to use phrases on the voice control feature, final lines added were selected taking compatibility with the product into account.
