* 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
- Strictly Come Dancing 56%
- Love Island 48%
- I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here 47%
- Married At First Sight 37%
- Great British Bake Off 29%
- The Traitors 26%
- The Only Way is Essex 25%
- Big Brother 19%
- Love is Blind 16%
- Made in Chelsea 13%
illicitencounterspress.wordpress.com 