The dating forecast is woefully bleak as a third of Brits admit to cheating in past relationships.
And now, brand new data has allowed us to pinpoint the cheating hotspots in the UK, with an unexpected infidelity capital.
Despite its abundance of sheep and rolling hills, it seems Welsh residents are in search of greener pastures, with a depressing 46% having cheated on a partner.
It’s not like there’s stiff competition either – Wales has proved to be the most unfaithful area in the UK by 13%. *Limits Tinder range to England and Scotland only*.
Welsh residents were also the most likely to say they’d been cheated on, too, with 62% saying this had happened to them, compared to the national average of 48%.
The new study by Eflorist found West Midlands residents were next on the list with a third of them having cheated on a partner.
Now, cheating doesn’t just mean they’ve had sex with someone behind their partners back, it could also mean a drunken kiss or breaching your partners trust in regards to someone else – but we’re talking physical cheating here.
The next cheating hotspot in the UK was actually a three-way tie – although it’s not an accolade you’d want to shout about.
Sign up to The Hook-Up, Metro’s sex and dating newsletter
Love reading juicy stories like this? Need some tips for how to spice things up in the bedroom?
Sign up to The Hook-Up and we’ll slide into your inbox every week with all the latest sex and dating stories from Metro. We can’t wait for you to join us!
About 32% of the population in Scotland, Yorkshire & Humberside and the UK capital have had a secret liaison with someone other than their partner.
Now, London is hardly surprising given the abundance of nightlife and opportunities for a misstep, but the good news is that well over half the population is faithful in a relationship.
Another percentage point behind is the South West – think Cornwall, Dorset, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire – to name a few. Here just 31% of residents have cheated.
I’ve cheated on eight boyfriends – I’m engaged but I won’t stop
‘I’m quite genuine, soft and sweet,’ bride-to-be Danielle*, 38, tells Metro. ‘But I’ve cheated on eight serious partners — including my fiancé.
‘I do feel guilty, but I think most people would cheat if they knew they would never get caught.’
Danielle has been with her boyfriend for two years, but says she always finds herself climbing back into her first love’s bed – the only man she’s ever stayed faithful to – even if she vows that this time things will be different.
Now, she’s due to wed at the end of the year, and her husband-to-be has no idea that she’s been playing away throughout their entire relationship.
‘I know it sounds evil and I did think, “you absolute b**ch”, but my cheating snowballed from there.’
Danielle, who admits to having a high sex drive, says that often, her cheating begins after an argument. ‘I’m reactive, and when someone hurts me, I want to hurt them back,’ she explains.
This was the case with her fiancé, who she met in 2023 at a party.
‘When we first started dating I thought: “No, I’m not going to cheat”. He knew I’d cheated in the past, but not the full extent,’ she recalls.
‘I really did try hard not to. But then one day we had an argument and he called me a sl*g, so I joined IllicitEncounters.
‘Two days later I shagged a married man in the back of his wife’s Range Rover in a pub car park.’
Just 28% of residents in the East of England have strayed from their partner, so if you live in the likes of Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, or Essex, you can rest easy.
Interestingly the East Midlands is even more loyal, with three quarters of residents never having cheated on a partner. It may be right next door to the cheating capital, but it seems these guys and gals aren’t easily swayed.
Just 23% have cheated in the North East with the likes of Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland and Northumberland residents all being content in their relationships.
Places like Berkshire, Hampshire, East Sussex, Surrey and Kent in the South East are also seeing relationships thrive, with just a fifth of the population being unfaithful.
But when it comes to the most faithful of them all, England is out of the running.
The most faithful area in the UK is actually Northern Ireland. Only 13% of its population has cheated, but this area of the UK also had the highest number of residents who wanted to be in a non-monogamous relationship.
So, maybe they’re just exploring consensually.
What makes people cheat?
Sheela Mackintosh-Stewart a matrimonial consultant and a divorce lawyer previously told Metro there’s certain triggers she sees time and time again which lead to infidelity.
‘Modern relationships undergo constant pressures, whether that’s handling the demands of everyday life, having to constantly juggle a hefty work-life balance or dealing with pressures on social media,’ Sheela said.
‘It is these stresses that can sometimes accumulate and lead to a relationship breakdown, and in some cases, infidelity.
Have you ever cheated on a partner
-
Yes
-
No
‘Common triggers I’ve seen include boredom, loneliness, depression, marital unhappiness, the need to spice it up and escape from the ordered predictability and humdrum of daily life, and domestic routine with the intoxicating edge of danger and thrill.’
She also says that cheaters are often looking for validation or support. ‘Often infidelity will occur when a person is feeling particularly vulnerable and doesn’t feel their additional emotional needs are being met – such as when a parent dies, when work becomes stressful, or a midlife crisis,’ she added.
‘Cheating is often just a symptom of a much greater underlying rot that has set into relationships which haven’t been properly communicated or dealt with by the couple, including feeling neglected, trapped, unsupported or having needs unmet.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
