All this week, Breakfast's been looking at what it's like to be single. Is freedom the greatest blessing of all - or does life only make sense if you have a partner?

There was a live Interactive forum on Wednesday, the 16th, of October when Sophie Raworth put your questions to Agony aunt Virginia Ironside and Professor Richard Scase.

---

Click here to watch the Forum.

---

So, do you think Britain is turning into a nation of loners? Do you think living alone shows independence or is it just plain sad?

It seems that a majority of us want to be in relationships - but we would rather not share a house with them. That's according to a new BBC survey released this week, known as "Going Solo".

Living alone is great. You can do what you like, when you like with whom you like. Ian, UK

Click here to read more of your e-mails

It's estimated that 40% of households in the country will consist of just one person by the end of the decade.

How do people feel about being single in 2002?

So often it's portrayed negatively.

But there are legions of people who're single, sorted and happily ignoring the lure of coupledom.

More than four and a half thousand people completed the BBC's "Going Solo" survey.

Click here to find out the results

Richard Scase is a professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Kent. He has studied the results of the survey.

Click here to watch our interview with Richard Scase.