Winnie-the-Pooh is the best-loved book character

16:08 - 21 July 2016

A poll of 1,200 people who read at least once a week, voted Winnie-the-Pooh over Harry Potter.

Seen as one of the biggest book series ever, the Harry Potter character is not as loved as the Internet makes it look.

A poll of 1,200 people who read at least once a week, voted A.A. Milne character Winnie-the-Pooh over J.K. Rowling's boy wizard.

When asked to explain why they picked particular characters, 45% of voters elected to select those filled with an adventurous streak; 37% felt their favourite characters helped them to be different while 33% of people stated their chosen character "felt like a good friend." Independent UK reported.

The survey was commissioned by the Reading Agency, which launches its Summer Reading Challenge for children in libraries across the country on Saturday. “We know the power of picking up a book you love and discovering a favourite character … The Summer Reading Challenge gives children the chance to be transported and inspired by the adventures of their favourite characters, and read books that can go on to play a fundamental role in their lives,” chief executive Sue Wilkinson told Guardian UK.

Wilkinson said that the Reading Agency undertook its new survey because it was “curious about which characters would stand the test of time and stay with us into adulthood, and the ones that would remain firm favourites across the generations”.

Harry Potter, it discovered, was a favourite for 48% of 16-24 year olds but only 3% of respondents over 55, while Pooh was a favourite for all ages. The survey’s older respondents preferred The Famous Five’s George and Bilbo Baggins to Harry Potter.

The full list of characters voted on, in order of popularity (as listed on Guardian UK):

Winnie-the-Pooh

Harry Potter

George, The Famous Five