This is the ideal time a kiss should last

And it's probably longer than you think...

Words by Rosie Benson

Us Brits aren't know for our love of public displays of affection - exaggerated displays of lust tend to leave us frowning and tutting with disapproval.

Yet apparently, we're not quite as prudish as we think. In honour of Valentine's Day and all things romantic Virgin Atlantic conducted a Facebook Live experiment to find out the perfect length of time for a kiss. The results?

12 seconds...

Yes, apparently 12 seconds is the ideal time a kiss should last - striking the perfect balance between affection and awkwardness

To conduct the experiment, real-life, married cabin crew couple Jess and Gary Ogden gamely volunteered to recreate the iconic V Day kiss in Times Square. Viewers of their Facebook Live kiss were asked to post a 'Wow' emoji when they felt that the it had reached the perfect length. And the emoji's started pouring in after (you guessed it) 12 seconds.

So, next time you're waving a loved one off at the airport, make sure to get your full 12 seconds of smooching in if you want to give them a goodbye to remember.

(xx)