* A survey has found that people who play board games are more likely to have an affair, with Monopoly, Scrabble, and Cluedo being the top games of choice for cheaters.

* 91% of board game players confessed to lying during games to win, while 21% used game nights as a cover for affairs.

* Experts say the strategic thinking and risk-taking skills honed in board games can translate into a knack for infidelity.

* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

Playing board games requires tactical thinking, strategic planning, and sometimes a touch of ruthlessness – all skills that, as it turns out, may also be handy when having an affair. A new study conducted by affairs site IllicitEncounters.com suggests a surprising link between board game habits and infidelity.

The poll surveyed 1,600 members about their board game preferences and their experience with cheating. The results revealed that people who regularly play board games are more likely to be unfaithful. Among respondents, 24% reported playing board games regularly, 58% said they played occasionally, and 18% said they never played board games.

When it comes to the cheater’s choice of board games, Monopoly, the game of cutthroat deals and ruthless property grabs, came out on top with 34% of respondents naming it their favourite. Scrabble, the word game that rewards cunning and creativity, came in second at 29%, while Cluedo made it into the top three with 15%.

91% of board game players admitted they’ve lied during a game to win, while 1 in 5 (21%) said they’ve even used board games and “games nights” as a cover to meet up with a lover.

One person who took part in the poll, Harriet*, 39, confessed that her ability to think several moves ahead in Chess helped her plan her affairs with military precision. “I’d plan my alibis weeks in advance, just like I’d plan my moves in a game. It became a challenge to see how long I could keep it going without getting caught. With board games, you do whatever it takes to win. I guess I applied the same logic to my relationships.”

Jessica Leoni, IllicitEncounters.com’s sex and relationships expert, isn’t surprised by the findings. “Board games – especially strategic ones like Monopoly or chess – require careful planning, patience, and sometimes a little deception. Those same qualities often come into play when someone is conducting an affair. People who excel at these games tend to be comfortable with risk, can think long-term, and know how to cover their tracks – all of which are essential traits for those managing a secret relationship.” 

Leoni also points out that the drive to win can be a common factor. “For some people, having an affair isn’t just about dissatisfaction in their current relationship,  it’s about the excitement of conquest and getting away with something. That’s a dynamic we see in competitive game players too.”

So, the next time your partner suggests a cosy night of Scrabble or a cutthroat round of Monopoly, you might want to keep an eye on their strategy – on and off the board.

*Name has been changed

Results

Top board games played by cheats:

Monopoly – 34%

Scrabble – 29%

Cluedo – 15%

Chess – 9%

Trivial Pursuit – 5%

Cards Against Humanity – 2%

Other – 6%

* 61% of respondents admitted to engaging in emotional affairs with AI chatbots in the past year.

* 2 in 5 people confess to having disclosed deeply personal thoughts and emotions to their AI companions – things they had never shared with their real-life partners.

* Experts warn that reliance on AI for emotional support may create distance in real-life relationships.
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

A recent study conducted by extramarital affairs site IllicitEncounters.com has shed light on an emerging trend in modern relationships: emotional cheating through the use of AI bots. 

The poll, which surveyed 2,000 members – an equal split of men and women – revealed that a staggering 61% had used an AI chatbot to engage in an emotional affair over the past year.

One of the most striking findings of the survey was that over half (56%) of respondents admitted to sharing intimate details and personal struggles in their relationships with their AI companions. For many, these chatbots provided a judgement-free space to express frustrations, fears, and unmet emotional needs.

Even more concerning, nearly 2 in 5 (41%) of participants confessed to disclosing deeply personal thoughts and emotions to their AI companions – things they had never shared with their real-life partners. This suggests that many people find AI chatbots to be safer and more understanding than their human counterparts.

The study also revealed that 1 in 4 (26%) users reported forming a strong emotional bond with their AI chatbot. Unlike traditional forms of infidelity, which often involve a physical connection, emotional cheating with AI exists purely in the digital realm. Yet, for those involved, the connection feels real and significant.

Interestingly, despite the deep emotional ties being formed, 81% of respondents who admitted to having an emotional affair with AI stated that they felt no guilt about their chatbot relationships – not considering them to be “real” cheating. 

One person who took part in the study, identified only as “Janice,” shared her experience of forming a deep emotional bond with an AI chatbot. “At first, it was just casual chatting which began out of curiosity, but over time, I found myself turning to the AI more than my husband when I was feeling stressed or alone. It never judges me, always listens, and provides comfort in a way that my partner doesn’t always understand. I know it’s not a real person, but the connection feels real, and that’s what matters to me.”

Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, weighed in on the phenomenon, noting that AI chatbots are providing emotional support in ways that some partners fail to. “The rise of AI chatbots as emotional companions suggests that many people feel unheard or unfulfilled in their relationships. While these chatbots can serve as a temporary emotional crutch, they could also deepen the divide between partners instead of encouraging open and honest communication.”

Leoni also warned that relying on AI for emotional intimacy could pose long-term risks. “While it may seem harmless at first, forming an attachment to an AI chatbot could lead to emotional distance from real-life partners, making it harder to address underlying issues in the relationship.”

* Red Tuesday, which falls on the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day, is the most popular day of the year for breakups.

* 31% of people break up to avoid the pressure of Valentine’s Day expectations.

* Of the 36% of people who ended a relationship in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, men are more likely to do so on Red Tuesday (62%) compared to women (38%), with millennials (ages 28-43) being the most likely to call it quits (40%).

* Study conducted byIllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

If you’re in a shaky relationship, tomorrow might not be your lucky day. The Tuesday before Valentine’s Day – dubbed Red Tuesday – is the most popular day of the year for breakups, and it has become a notorious time for couples deciding to call it quits.

A recent poll conducted by the UK’s largest extramarital dating site, IllicitEncounters.com surveyed 1,200 people and found that 36% of respondents have ended a relationship in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day – of those, 66% broke up with their partner on Red Tuesday.

The reasons vary, but the most common one – cited by 31% of participants – is wanting to avoid the pressure of Valentine’s Day expectations. For many, the thought of planning a romantic evening or buying a meaningful gift for a partner they no longer see a future with is enough to push them to end things beforehand. 

Meanwhile, 27% admitted they wanted to avoid the guilt of faking affection on the most romantic day of the year.

As for how people chose to deliver the bad news, 33% preferred to break up over the phone, while 29% opted for a text message. Surprisingly, only 26% ended things face-to-face, and a small percentage turned to social media (7%) or email (4%) to cut ties. A cold-hearted 1% admitted to ghosting their partner entirely.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 75% of people having an affair still choose to spend Valentine’s Day with their primary partner. However, 18% said they will prioritise spending time with their lover over their spouse, while 7% plan to skip celebrating altogether.

The poll found that men are more likely to initiate Red Tuesday breakups, accounting for 62% of them, while women make up 38%. 

When it comes to age groups, Millennials (ages 28-43) are the most likely to call it quits on this day, representing 40% of breakups, followed by Gen Z (18-27) at 34%. Gen X (44-59) accounts for 18%, and Baby Boomers (60-78) make up just 8% of those ending relationships on Red Tuesday.

Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com which conducted the poll explains the trend, “Red Tuesday breakups happen because people don’t want to fake their feelings on Valentine’s Day. Rather than go through the motions of romance, they’d prefer to be honest – even if it means heartbreak. 

It’s also a time when people reflect on their relationship and decide if they truly see a future together. Some feel trapped by Valentine’s Day and the expectations that come with it, and rather than putting in effort for a relationship they don’t see lasting, they cut ties instead. 

Ultimately, Red Tuesday has become a day of reckoning for many couples, and it’s no surprise that we see a massive spike in breakups right before Valentine’s Day.”

* Emma, 41, from London, has been having an affair with a man she met on extramarital dating site IllicitEncounters.com for over a year, but managed to outsmart both her jealous husband and a private investigator he secretly hired to catch her.
* Aware of her husband’s suspicions, Emma carefully covered her tracks – using fake work commitments, a second phone, and a trusted friend as an alibi – to ensure no evidence of her affair was ever found.
* With more people hiring ‘love rat’ investigators, experts warn that paranoia over cheating is growing, but even the most thorough detective work can’t always uncover well-hidden affairs.

Paranoia over cheating is gripping the nation as suspicious spouses increasingly turn to private investigators to spy on their partners. But while some uncover shocking affairs, others are left red-faced when their hired detectives come up empty-handed. 

One woman, Emma, 41, from London, discovered that her husband secretly paid a ‘love rat’ investigator to follow her – only to find nothing, despite the fact that she has been having an affair for over a year with a man she met on extramarital dating site IllicitEncounters.com.

“It wasn’t something I planned,” Emma confesses. “Joe* and I had been drifting apart for years. We were more like roommates than husband and wife. When I stumbled across IllicitEncounters, it was out of curiosity at first. But then I met Alex*, and everything changed.”

Emma’s lover is everything her husband isn’t – adventurous, spontaneous, and wildly attentive. What started as a casual fling quickly turned into something deeper, and Emma found herself falling for him. “I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself,” she says. “For the first time in years, I felt desired and alive. I wasn’t ready to give that up.”

But keeping the affair under wraps wasn’t easy. Her husband had always been the jealous type, and Emma’s sudden changes in behaviour – late nights at work, mysterious phone calls, and a renewed interest in her appearance – didn’t go unnoticed.

“He started questioning everything,” Emma recalls. “Why was I working late so often? Why was I suddenly going to the gym every day? He even accused me outright of having an affair, but I denied it. I knew I had to be smarter if I was going to keep my secret.”

She created a fake work project to explain her late nights, used a second phone to communicate with Alex, and even enlisted a friend to cover for her when she needed an alibi. “I was always one step ahead,” she says. “I knew Joe was watching me, so I made sure there was nothing for him to find.”

But Joe wasn’t just relying on his own instincts. Convinced Emma was hiding something, he hired a private investigator to follow her. “I had no idea at first,” Emma admits. “But looking back, there were signs – a car that seemed to follow me a few times, a stranger hanging around near my office. I realised what was happening and doubled down on my efforts to stay under the radar.”

Emma’s meticulous planning paid off. The private investigator, unable to find any concrete evidence of her affair, eventually told Joe he was wrong. “Joe actually apologised to me,” Emma says with a hint of guilt. “He said he’d been paranoid and that he trusted me. It was a weird feeling – relief mixed with guilt. I knew I was lying to him, but I also knew I wasn’t ready to end things with Alex.”

For Emma, the affair isn’t just about sex – it’s about reclaiming a part of herself she thought she’d lost. “I love Joe, but our relationship had become so stale,” she explains. “With Alex, I feel like the woman I used to be – confident, sexy, and alive. I know it’s selfish, but I’m not ready to give that up. I’m living in the moment,” she says. “I know it’s not sustainable, but for now, I’m happy. And as long as I’m careful, no one has to get hurt.”

Relationship experts say Emma’s case is not unusual, with private investigators reporting a surge in demand from people desperate to confirm their worst fears about their partners.

Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, says trust issues in relationships are at an all-time high. “Social media, dating apps, and websites like ours have made it easier than ever to have an affair, but they’ve also created a culture of suspicion. People are more paranoid than ever, and instead of communicating with their partners, they’re turning to private investigators for answers.”

However, Leoni warns that even the best detective work doesn’t always guarantee the truth. “The reality is that many affairs – especially those conducted through discreet platforms like IllicitEncounters – are almost impossible to trace. If someone is clever enough, they won’t leave a trail.”

* Names have been changed