CARDIFF is the soap opera capital of the UK, Glasgow its true crime TV hub and Leeds home to the most avid sport watchers, research has suggested.

The survey was commissioned by Virgin Media to mark the last week of voting for the must-see moment award at the TV Baftas.

It found viewing habits are being shaped by social media, with 31 per cent of Britons surveyed saying they are more likely to watch a show if they have seen an online meme about it – such as the smug detective Patricia Carmichael from Line Of Duty.

The survey also found geographic differences in TV tastes.

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In Cardiff, 41 per cent of those surveyed said they are soap opera fans, a higher percentage than anywhere else in the country.

Glaswegians are the biggest watchers of true crime, with 55 per cent saying they are fans of the genre, while 39 per cent of respondents in Leeds said they are most likely to watch sport.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Edinburgh, home of the Festival Fringe, is the UK’s comedy capital. Of those surveyed, 57 per cent said they enjoy watching comedy shows on TV.

In Plymouth, 76 per cent said they enjoy a gripping drama series while in Cambridge 66 per cent said they prefer documentaries.

According to the survey, viewers from Sheffield emerged as the biggest fans of game shows with 46 per cent of respondents enjoying the genre, while 46 per cent of people from Leicester like to unwind with cookery programmes.

Mancunians are the most likely to enjoy watching home improvement programmes, according to 24 per cent of those surveyed, while 36 per cent of viewers from Newcastle said they prefer shows the family can enjoy together.

Overall, drama is the nation’s favourite TV genre, with 62 per cent saying they cannot resist a gripping TV show, according to the survey.

Voting for the Virgin Media must-see moment is online at www.virginmedia.com/bafta and closes on Monday, May 24, at 5pm.

The Bafta TV Awards are set to take place on June 6.