When it comes to the crunch, millions of British women are more interested in the sex lives of Carrie Bradshaw and her Manhattan friends than they are in their own, a shocking new study has found.

Showing just how important catching up with our favourite TV shows has now become, almost one in five women say that they would gladly give up the opportunity of having sex in favour of sitting back and enjoying what's on the box, with those aged between 16 and 24 the most likely to fob their partner off with an excuse and then settle down on the couch.

Not only do women put their boyfriends or husbands on hold while their top shows are on, but many admit to shunning family and friends due to their TV commitments, with many organising their social lives around the programme schedules.

Indeed, 12 per cent of respondents to the Tiscali poll said that they get more enjoyment out of seeing their favourite programmes than they do in spending time with those close to them.

What's more, these preferences aren't only because the nation's women don't want to miss out on a crucial episode or a landmark TV event as more than one in two are just as happy to watch the same episode five times in a row.

As Tiscali TV director Simon Hunt somewhat understatedly concludes: "Loyal fans let little stand in the way of seeing their favourite show".

The news that Channel 4 has therefore re-commissioned 'Shipwrecked' is hardly likely to be welcomed by those chaps who like to set Sunday mornings aside for some quality time with their partners.

According to the broadcaster's latest figures, at its peak the desert-island reality show was pulling in more than one million viewers, largely made up of girls keen to get an early-morning fix of back-stabbing and bronzed boys in trunks.

"The current series of 'Shipwrecked' has delivered more twists and turns than ever before," said Jules Oldroyd, head of T4.

"[We have] confidence that our plans for next year will deliver something equally compelling."

This time around, the lucky contestants will head off to their island paradise in October, with the 16-part series due to be transmitted on T4 at the start of next year, no doubt making viewers stuck in rainy Britain extremely jealous indeed.

Of course, guys can always turn over to the sport or even take a chance of getting their day of rest off to an amorous start.

However, with 20 per cent of women also admitting that they get "remote rage", if they don't get their way with the TV, it may be easier to grin and bear it for four months.