These are the questions most feared at Christmas family gatherings

'Have you put on weight?'

'Have you put on weight?’ That is the top question feared by UK residents when they attend a family gathering over the Christmas period, a new poll has revealed.

Navigating gatherings with your nearest and dearest at any time of year can prove tricky - but during Christmas it seems loved ones have no filter or off button (maybe it's due to copious alcoholic beverages?).

Moving on, in second place is the question, ‘What’s your New Year’s resolution?’ is dreaded. This is followed by which political party you back. Gulp.

Three in ten adults aim to avoid talking about religion, their love life or money during get- togethers with extended family at Christmas, the survey by Hasbro shows.

Completing the top five are ‘is marriage on the cards?’ and ‘have you got a job yet?’

Surprisingly, only two in five expect tricky personal questions to keep coming back each year, but perhaps not surprisingly, almost a third of adults have pulled out of attending a family event rather than have to endure another round of awkward conversations.

The poll showed evasive tactics included hiding in the toilet and faking a phone call (guilty), and in-laws are the relatives we tend to most want to avoid, followed by siblings and cousins.

A fifth of Brits believe conversing with distant relatives is pointless, although a sixth concede that small talk can be a way of breaking the ice.

More than a quarter feel ‘awkward’ about seeing acquaintances or relations they don’t know very well and one in five feels ‘anxious’ and 'unprepared’.

Good luck out there, folks.