Life coach sparks fury after suggests watching TV with your partner is a relationship killer

Listening to self-professed life and relationship coaches can be inspiring, but it can also occasionally make you feel like you’re doing everything wrong, all of the time.

That was the case for many people listening to a life coach who suggested that watching telly with your partner – one of the most basic things you can enjoy together – is actually really bad.

Life coach Jay Shetty, who also happens to be a former monk, appeared on Steven Bartlett's 'Diary Of A CEO' podcast and sparked a backlash with his comments.

He posted a clip of himself describing watching TV with your partner as the “lowest form of intimacy” a couple can have, writing in the caption: "Learning something with your partner will be more memorable than any amount of time on Netflix.”

The interview, which has resurfaced after first being posted last year, saw him say: "Most of us only do one thing with our partners: watching TV. And that is the lowest form of intimacy that you could possibly ask for with any human being."

Shetty went on to speak about his “pyramid of intimacy”, saying: "If you and I watch TV together for 200 hours a year, we would potentially be no closer than we were before. I have this pyramid of intimacy, and entertainment is on the lowest rung of the ladder.”

"But that is what the majority of couples are doing. So if we're only watching TV together, I promise you, that relationship is not growing. It is actually falling apart slowly, and you have no idea. I know it is a painful truth to accept."

Plenty of people in the comments were quick to disagree, with one writing: "I'm not sure if i agree with this. It shows common interest and sometime playful banter n debate. You can see where you want to visit, different cultures without visiting."

Another said: "This is soooo false , digesting media can bring you a lot closer , it all depends how n what you watch and the conversation it brings up between you two. However that is also untrue in some instances bc we are all vastly different and what works for some won’t work for others."

One more wrote: "I think it’s a balancing act. Because if it means a lot to my husband for me to sit and watch a baseball game with him, I will do it because I know how much he appreciates it. Just like I appreciate having him join me at a work event. It’s one aspect of giving and receiving, which also creates a valuable level of intimacy."

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