DO YOU love the music of classic rock band Toto? Have you got a pet budgerigar or cockatoo? Well according to a poll of Oxford Mail readers, you probably should.

Online polling website YouGov has created a storm on social media after releasing a new web app called Profiler.

Using information from 190,000 YouGov members, ‘Profiler’ can tell you the political views, disposable income and likes or dislikes of X-Factor viewers, Oxford Mail readers and even Taylor Swift fans.

According to Profiler, the typical Oxford Mail reader – based on 36 profiles – is a female between the ages of 25 and 39, loves to eat Frikadeller (minced meat dumplings) and works in architecture.

To test the accuracy of the poll we spoke to one of our loyal readers, 65-year-old Heather Morris, who has had the Oxford Mail delivered since 2009.

The retired administrator said: “I think some people might have been pulling your leg.

“Most people who read the Mail are of an older generation, like me.”

Unlike the results of the YouGov poll, Mrs Morris’ favourite meal is slow roast pork and her favourite music artist is Alexander O’Neill.

Mrs Morris’ favourite celebrity, Michael Palin, did not feature in YouGov’s list of the top five favourite Oxford Mail celebrities: Christian Bale, Raymond Blanc, John Hurt, Neil Patrick Harris and Jon Snow.

Ben Tobin of YouGov said: “What we’re telling people is it’s a bit of fun.

“We wouldn’t call the polls an accurate sample group unless we polled more than 1,000 people. I think it’s a bit of fun and we hope people see it that way.”

 

Our top stories

 

 

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.