Was 'When Harry Met Sally' right? Two-thirds of couples start out as friends, research finds 

Average length of friendship before relationship turns romantic is 22 months, study says

How does a platonic relationship turn romantic and what really is the distinction between friends and lovers is a question that is still being unpicked. Picture: iStock

When Harry first met Sally, he asserted men and women could not be friends because the “sex part always gets in the way”.

But new research suggests roughly two-thirds of couples start out as friends and maintain a platonic relationship for long periods before sparking a romance.