* 41% of Brits say their partner is “obsessed” with reality TV – and 63% claim it’s harming their relationship.
* Strictly Come Dancing ranked the number one show causing tension and killing intimacy.
* Experts warn reality TV escapism and second-screen habits are driving emotional disconnect in UK couples.
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site

New research reveals that reality TV obsession is becoming a serious point of contention in British relationships, with partners of superfans reporting feeling neglected and lonely.

A new study by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site, involving 2,000 people reveals how reality TV is creating a crisis in British bedrooms, with 41% of respondents saying their partner is “obsessed” with TV shows – and of those, an alarming 63% admit it’s negatively impacting their relationship.

The research uncovered a definitive ranking of passion-killing programmes, with Strictly Come Dancing leading the pack as the show that causes the most tension in British relationships (56%).

Coming in second was Love Island (48%), whilst the nightly obsession with jungle antics left little room for intimacy as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here (47%) came a close third.

Married At First Sight took fourth place (37%), as ironically watching strangers’ weddings appears to be destroying their own marriages, whilst the seemingly-innocent Great British Bake Off completed the top five (29%).

Michael*, 38, a logistics manager from Kent, shares his experience as a ‘Strictly widower’:

“From September to Christmas, I simply don’t exist. My wife doesn’t just watch Strictly – she lives it. There’s the main show, ‘It Takes Two’, and hours scrolling through social media talking about it. If I try to speak to her during any of this, I’m treated like I’m disturbing something sacred.”

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationship expert at IllicitEncounters.com comments: “We’re witnessing what’s called the ‘Second Screen Syndrome’ – where phones and tablets mean partners are never truly present anymore. But when you add full-blown reality TV obsessions into the mix, it creates a perfect storm of neglect.

The irony is heartbreaking – people are crying over television relationships while their real-life partnerships crumble from inattention. When someone knows more about the Strictly contestants’ backgrounds than their own partner’s daily life, it creates a deep sense of loneliness that often leads to seeking connection elsewhere.”

*Name has been changed

Top 10 Passion-Killing Reality TV Shows

1. Strictly Come Dancing 56%
2. Love Island 48%
3. I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here 47%
4. Married At First Sight 37%
5. Great British Bake Off 29%
6. The Traitors 26%
7. The Only Way is Essex 25%
8. Big Brother 19%
9. Love is Blind 16%
10. Made in Chelsea 13%

* A heartbreaking new poll reveals that 58% of people are trapped in unhappy marriages because they simply cannot afford to leave their partner.
* Of those financially constrained people, a massive 84% admit they would leave their husband tomorrow if they weren’t fearful of the financial impact of divorce.
* Susan* and Anthony* are just two examples of how worries of financial ruin through divorce can be a catalyst for infidelity.
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

For many people, divorce isn’t always a choice. Some stay in unhappy marriages not because of love, but because they simply can’t afford to leave – and for a growing number, that financial trap is pushing them towards affairs instead.

A new survey of 2,000 members (split evenly between men and women) on IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site, reveals that 58% of people admit they stay in their marriage for financial reasons – and of those, a staggering 84% say they’d leave tomorrow if they weren’t fearful of the financial impact of divorce.

For Susan, 50, from Dorset, that statistic hits painfully close to home. She’s been married for 15 years, but the love faded long ago. “ I stay because I can’t afford not to – there’s no affection, no sex, nothing romantic left. We even sleep in separate rooms.” she says.

Susan’s husband had an affair 14 years ago, when she was pregnant with their child. Though they stayed together, she says she “never truly forgave him” but feels she cannot leave because of the costs that would come with divorce. 

But it’s not just women who are feeling trapped because of the potential financial impact of divorce. Anthony*, a 53-year-old business consultant, says, “I have a great salary, and that’s exactly the problem. The thought of a divorce is terrifying – my wife would take half of everything I’ve spent my life building. She knows that, and I think on some level, she uses it to her advantage. We haven’t been intimate for years, but I stay because the alternative could destroy me financially.”

He says joining IllicitEncounters.com gave him “an escape” without the life-ruining cost of divorce. “It’s not about being a player or chasing excitement – it’s about feeling appreciated again, without losing everything I’ve built.”

Relationship expert Jessica Leoni, from IllicitEncounters.com, says these stories are increasingly common. “Financial entrapment is one of the hidden drivers of modern infidelity,” she explains. “Many people feel they have no real option to leave – the cost of housing, childcare, and living expenses means they’re effectively locked into their marriages. For some, an affair becomes a way to reclaim a piece of themselves without tearing their whole life apart.”

Sometimes it’s the only form of therapy and self-discovery that fits within their economic reality. They aren’t looking to blow up their family’s home; they’re looking for a way to survive living in it.”

*Name has been changed

* Darts star Luke “The Nuke” Littler  has sensationally been voted the world’s sexiest sportsman.
* The 18-year-old saw off fierce competition from global icons like Tyson Fury (2nd), Lando Norris (3rd), Carlos Alcaraz (5th) and Travis Kelce (6th).
* Littler has been hailed a ‘working class hero’ whose ‘pub-lunch physique’ and authenticity has redefined what women find attractive.
* The results come from an annual survey of female members on IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading dating website for married people.

Darts sensation Luke Littler has pulled off the most unlikely victory of his career yet – being crowned the “World’s Sexiest Sportsman”, beating boxing legend Tyson Fury, NFL heart-throb Travis Kelce and football golden boy Jude Bellingham.

The poll, conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading dating site for married people, asked 2,000 of its UK-based female members to score a 30-strong list of the biggest male sports stars in the world from 1-10 – based on their “sexiness”.

And it was 18-year-old Luke “The Nuke” Littler who stunned everyone by taking the top spot in 2025 – proving that sex appeal isn’t all about six-packs.

Littler saw off fierce competition from 2023’s winner Tyson Fury, who landed in 2nd place, and British F1 star Lando Norris (3rd). In a further twist, darts rival Luke Humphries made it to 4th place, whilst Spanish tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz completed the top 5.

Jessica Leoni, spokesperson for IllicitEncounters.com, credits Littler’s rise to his unapologetic authenticity and his complete lack of pretense, which she says women find deeply attractive.

Leoni commented: “The results are definitive: women are utterly over the chiseled, air-brushed look. They are craving authenticity, approachability, and confidence – and Luke Littler delivers all three in spades.

“He is the anti-supermodel sportsman. Littler’s appeal lies in the fact he’s a working-class hero who acts like a normal bloke and has a ‘pub-lunch’ physique. He owns it, he’s a winner, and he doesn’t feel the need to chase physical perfection – that self-assuredness is the most powerful aphrodisiac of all. 

“While a chiseled jawline is traditionally considered ‘sexy,’ the results prove that confidence is sexier than a six-pack,” Leoni added. “Littler is the new blueprint for male attraction: a man who is brilliant at what he does and completely comfortable in his own skin.”

Sexiest Sportsman on the Planet 2025

1. Luke Littler
2. Tyson Fury
3. Lando Norris
4. Luke Humphries
5. Carlos Alcaraz
6. Travis Kelce
7. Jude Bellingham
8. Jack Draper
9. Erling Haaland
10. Anthony Joshua