'It was hard to admit I felt lonely'

Experts say us Brits are lonelier than ever, with the isolation of the Covid lockdowns leading us all into a social recession”. Here, 26-year-old Holly Cooke shares her story with new

- LUCY ROBINSON

As the festive invites dry up and the cold short days deter us from venturing out, it’s no surprise that January is the month when we’re most likely to feel lonely. But for many people the feeling of isolation is with them all year round. 

For children, the words “do you want to be my friend?” feel fairly straightforward, but when you reach adulthood it’s a question you’ll seldom hear. And right now, the UK is facing a loneliness epidemic, with around 25 million adults sometimes, often or always feeling lonely.

It’s something that university graduate Holly Cooke faced in 2018, when the 26-yearold moved to London from Nottingham to start her dream job in marketing. Despite expectations of buzzy after-work drinks, sociable Sunday brunches at local cafés and weekend visits with new friends to the Tate, it soon dawned on her that something was missing.

“I’d always wanted to live in London and had this idea that it was going to be like something out of Made In Chelsea and I’d be enjoying nights out every day of the week,” she says. “I moved in with some family friends, but they were my parents’ age. I’d go to work, come home, sit in my room and repeat that cycle every day. It was hard to admit, but I was lonely.”

After six weeks of isolation, Holly turned to the one place she knew could help – the internet. But with friendship apps proving intimidating and Google searches of “how to make friends” far from useful, she created a Facebook group, The London Lonely Girls Club, for others in her position.