Facebook's 24 million British users make it 'The X Factor of the internet'

Facebook's 24 million British users make it 'The X Factor of the internet'
Hands up who'd use Facebook mobile more if it got rid of Chat Heads?

Don't tell the people you're currently having brunch with but ignoring in favour of your phone, but 20 million Brits are checking Facebook from their phones and tablets every day.

Yes, of Facebook's 24 million active daily users in Britain, 83% of us are hopeless Facebook-obsessed smartphone-touting bores.

That means only around 4 million people are using their computers (and smart TV apps, ha ha ha) to check the social network in a day, and backs up Facebook's plan to become a 'mobile first' company.

A check-in a day

"People start the day with Facebook and especially in the UK, which is a very big mobile market, there is a very high percentage of people signing in on smartphones," said James Quarles, regional director for EMEA.

"If you think about tentpole television events like Britain's Got Talent or The X Factor, 20 million available throughout Facebook daily is double what that audience would be," he added, for the benefit of anyone thinking about doing a spot of advertising in the UK.

Some more stats for your workbooks: 33 million people check Facebook at least once a month in the UK, mobile use of the site is up 20% compared to last year and it boasts 1.1 billion global users.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.