I love seeing what's on presenters' bookshelves on TV | Blaise Tapp

However, there is one trait which is rife among millions of us – nosiness. We are a nation of curtain twitchers and northerners take it to a different level.

Some mistake it for friendliness when somebody from either side of the Pennines strikes up a conversation with a stranger, but don’t be fooled as, in my experience, we are usually trying to establish whether you know something we don’t.

Our obsession with documentaries and reality television plays to our desire to delve deep into the lives of others – especially when we get to look around other people’s houses. As a kid in the ‘80s, it was the law that families had to spend their early Saturday evening guessing which celebrity’s gaff was featured on Through the Keyhole.

We also love nothing more than passing judgement on the wallpaper of homes featured on Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location, while scoffing at the asking price. In recent weeks, we have gained a real insight into the private lives of public figures, thanks to the sudden surge in video interviews on news and current affairs programmes.

One of the unexpected highlights of lockdown has been getting the opportunity to see what a Cabinet member has on their bookshelves.

At least one senior politician has been accused of bulk-buying classics from Waterstones in order to appear more well-read, while another, Michael Gove, received flak for owning a book by a holocaust denier.

All I can say is I am hugely grateful that the chances of my literary collection being scrutinised by the masses are as great as the likelihood of being invited on to Love Island.

Our shelves are largely full of trinkets and family portraits, while the majority of books we own remain sealed in boxes in our shed.

Our home is full of books – it is just that the collection consists of all the Mr Men works, Aliens Love Underpants and an array of pre-teen classics. If anyone were to gawp at our shelves, they wouldn’t learn very much.