A “friendless” dad-of-two has found unexpected fame after his video about loneliness went viral.

Mark Gaisford, a 52-year-old from Fordwich, is married and has two children. As the gregarious owner of a Canterbury-based recruitment firm, he outwardly has a well-rounded social life.

Video: Mark Gaisford's video about male friendship has gone viral

Yet he says that as an adult, he has struggled to make or maintain lasting friendships, and is calling upon others in his situation to do something about it.

“I have no friends,” he says frankly, at the start of a video he published to business networking site LinkedIn.

“It’s a scary thing to admit that,” he continues.

“I’m really lucky because I’ve got some amazing work colleagues, but I don’t take them out for dinner and go for long country walks with them - I don’t do stuff with them that friends do.

“It’s not just me either. There are a staggering number of people, and mostly men, across the UK who’ve got very few, if any, friends that they can actually talk about serious stuff with.”

'They say we’re now more connected than ever before, but I think we’re actually probably further apart'

Mark references a recent YouGov poll, which found 18% of men felt they had no close friend, while 32% had nobody they counted as a best friend.

Speaking to KentOnline, he said he became aware of his own lack of friends when his children began moving away from home.

“My daughter’s in her second year at university and my son’s just about to go set up home with his partner,” he explained.

“Business-wise there’s always tonnes going on. I’m always out networking and meeting people. On the surface, I’ve got a very busy life.

“Then I started thinking about my life outside work.

“Here I’ve been, dedicating it to family and career. But suddenly the family was going their own way and I realised I didn’t have friends around me.”

Mark decided to take action and reach out to others.

“At 50-something it’s quite a challenge,” he said. “It’s not like you’re at uni.

“I think part of our problem is that the culture of going down the pub for a pint after work has gone. It’s now full of families drinking and eating, which is great but not as sociable if you’re on your own.”

Mark says his lack of friends is exacerbated by the fact he did not go to university, and moved away from where he was brought up, while the rise of social media has also led to an increase in loneliness globally.

'I think there's a bit of a stigma surrounding it. But it's important to have someone to talk to'

“They say we’re now more connected than ever before, but I think we’re actually probably further apart,” he said. “I’ve got 300 Facebook friends, but how many are actually friends?

“Women seem to find it easier to start and maintain friendships.

“Men are happy to talk about football and cars, but when it’s serious issues about life and how we feel about things, we’re rubbish at it. And I think that does cause men to bury their feelings.”

Mark’s video documents him reaching out to a local social group he found online, which he met at the Millers Arms pub in Canterbury.

“I’m so glad I got off my backside and did something like that,” he said afterwards. “It was really good fun. I wouldn’t call them friends yet, but I hope they will be.

“There are a lot of groups out there, but you do need a bit of bravery to go through the front door of a pub you’ve never been to to meet men you’ve never met.”Mark published his video online, in an effort to encourage others to reach out to those around them.

“It’s OK to say ‘I’m feeling lonely’,” he said. “I think there is a bit of a stigma surrounding it. But it’s important to have someone to talk to. Otherwise it can lead to other problems, like depression.

“It’s not even necessarily just loneliness. For me, it was about not having close friends to do things with.”

But Mark had not been prepared for the huge reaction his video would receive once published online.

To his surprise, his message has resonated with people around the world - amassing 30,000 views on YouTube, and thousands more on other platforms.

He has also been inundated with messages from those who empathise with his situation.

“I’m glad I reached out,” he said. “It’s not only been strangers who have been in touch. Even people I know but don’t meet up with socially have said we should do something. I’m meeting a couple of guys I’ve known for years for a pint and a pie. A couple of friends from primary school have said we should meet up. I’ve had more offers for a pint than there are days in the year!”

Many viewers have thanked Mark for highlighting the prevalence of loneliness, with one saying: “You brave man. All my good friends are scattered around the world, so I’m a bit lonely too.”

Another said: “Me too. Thank you for giving me the confidence to tackle this. Now I need to find a group like yours.”

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