* December and summer months top the list for sexual activity, while January ranks last.
* Exhaustion, money worries and Dry January blamed for killing desire.
* Londoners report the biggest January sex slump.
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site

January has officially earned an unsexy new title. According to new research, it’s the month when couples are least likely to get intimate – and it’s not hard to see why.

A poll of 2,700 adults by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading affairs site, has revealed that sexual frequency drops sharply in January compared to December, with many couples admitting that once the fairy lights come down, so does their libido.

When asked to choose which month they tend to have the most sex, December comfortably topped the list, with 22% saying it’s their most active month. Summer also proved popular, with July (16%) and August (14%) rounding out the top three.

January, meanwhile, sat firmly at the bottom of the table, with just 2% saying it’s when they have the most sex, confirming it as the nation’s least passionate month.

While December is fuelled by indulgence, socialising and late nights, January brings the opposite: fatigue, restraint and a collective national comedown.

The biggest libido‑killer? Exhaustion. Nearly two‑thirds (64%) said the chaos of Christmas left them too drained to feel sexual in January.

Money worries also played a major role. Almost half (47%) said post‑Christmas financial stress made it difficult to relax or feel in the mood.

Meanwhile, Dry January has been dampening more than just alcohol intake. A third (33%) said going booze‑free reduced spontaneity and intimacy at home.

Even healthy habits are sabotaging sex lives. 29% said early‑morning gym sessions and new fitness routines left them “too tired” for sex at night, while 24% admitted that poor body confidence after festive overindulgence made them less likely to initiate intimacy.

The survey also revealed stark regional differences when it comes to the January bedroom slowdown. London topped the list, with 38% of respondents saying their sex life dips dramatically in January, followed by the South East (34%) and the North West (31%).

At the other end of the scale, Northern Ireland reported the smallest post-festive slowdown, with just 13% saying January has a noticeable impact on their intimacy levels – suggesting some regions are shaking off the winter lull far better than others.

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, says January creates the perfect storm for intimacy to take a back seat.

“January is all about restriction – spending less, drinking less, eating less, sleeping more and waking up earlier,” she explains. “Unfortunately, sex often becomes another thing people subconsciously cut back on.”

She adds: “When stress, fatigue and self-consciousness creep in, desire is usually the first casualty. It’s why January consistently shows the biggest dip in sexual frequency, even among otherwise happy couples.”

Leoni says the key is recognising the slump rather than ignoring it. “Intimacy doesn’t have to disappear just because it’s cold, dark and payday feels miles away – but January definitely makes it harder to prioritise connection unless couples actively make the effort.”

Results

Which month of the year do you tend to have more sex? (Choose one)
December – 22%
July – 16%
August – 14%
February – 10%
June – 8%
March – 7%
May – 6%
November – 5%
April – 4%
October – 3%
September – 3%
January – 2%

Regional breakdown of where people in the UK admit to experiencing a January sex slump
London – 38%
South East – 34%
North West – 31%
West Midlands – 29%
East Midlands – 25%
Scotland – 24%
Yorkshire & Humber – 22%
East of England – 19%
South West – 18%
Wales – 16%
Northern Ireland – 13%

* People working across politics – from MPs and councillors to civil servants – topped the list, with more than a quarter linking the sector to infidelity.
* High-pressure, long-hour professions linked to trust and authority, including police, doctors and teachers, also ranked highly.
* Experts say secrecy, stress and blurred work-life boundaries create the perfect conditions for affairs to develop.
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site

People working in politics – from MPs and councillors to civil servants and policy advisers – have topped a new and eyebrow-raising league table of Britain’s most unfaithful professions, according to a poll by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

The survey of 3,000 UK adults found that those employed across the political sector are more likely to cheat than workers in any other profession, with 28% of respondents linking infidelity to roles within politics. Long hours, high-pressure environments and a culture of discretion were repeatedly cited as factors that make affairs more likely.

It’s not just people in politics keeping secrets, however. The research suggests that professions traditionally associated with trust and authority also feature heavily on the list. Police officers ranked second, with 23% of respondents associating the profession with infidelity, followed closely by doctors on 21%, where shift work, emotional intensity and irregular hours were frequently blamed.

Teachers also made the top ten, with 18% saying the profession is prone to cheating. Meanwhile, lawyers (15%) and those working in finance (14%) were also flagged as high-risk, with ambition, long days and blurred lines between work and social life cited as contributing factors.

Perhaps more surprisingly, roles rooted in care and public service still scored highly. Nurses (11%) and social workers (9%) both featured, while journalists (9%) and the military (8%) completed the top ten.

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert for IllicitEncounters.com, says the results are less about profession stereotypes and more about environment. “When we talk about politics here, we’re not just talking about MPs in Westminster,” she explains. “We mean anyone working within the political system – civil servants, advisers, councillors and policy teams – roles that often involve long hours, emotional intensity and a strong expectation of discretion.”

She adds, “Professions that combine pressure, power and secrecy consistently rank highest when it comes to infidelity. When work becomes all-consuming and personal lives take a back seat, it’s actually often with colleagues – people who understand that pressure – where boundaries start to blur. I mean, Matt Hancock had an affair with an aide just a few years ago… do we really other people in politics haven’t been doing the same thing behind closed doors since then?”

Results
Top 10 professions most likely to cheat (according to respondents):
Politics – 28%
Police – 23%
Doctors – 21%
Teachers – 18%
Lawyers – 15%
Finance – 14%
Nurses – 11%
Social workers – 9%
Journalists – 9%
Military – 8%
Other – 12%

* Welsh named Britain’s most trusted accent, with one in four people saying it sounds the most honest.

* Geordie and Northern Irish accents complete the top three, while Cockney is trusted least.

* Two-thirds (67%) of people admit they judge someone’s honesty based purely on their accent.

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

As the nation remains gripped by the deceptive drama of The Traitors, a new study reveals which British accents we instinctively turn to for truth – and the results are music to Welsh ears.

The poll of 2,500 people by IllicitEncounters.com saw respondents asked to choose the one British accent they trust most from a broad list, with the Welsh accent crowned the UK’s most trustworthy (22%). The melodic tones of the Valleys clearly have us all under a spell, beating the friendly Geordie charm (16%) into second place.

Completing a podium of trustworthy tones, the Northern Irish accent took bronze with 15%, suggesting a lovely lilt goes a long way. 

At the bottom of the league table, posh and West Country accents tied with a meagre 2% each. And in last place – with just 1% – sits the Cockney accent. Not because people dislike it, but because, as one respondent put it, “they sound like they’d sell you a watch and a story at the same time”.

The poll also revealed just how much weight people put on how someone sounds. 67% admitted they form an instant opinion about someone’s honesty based purely on their accent.

Meanwhile, 28% said they feel more at ease around people whose accent sounds friendly or familiar – even if they’ve only just met.

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, says it’s hardly surprising. “Accents act like a shortcut for the brain,” she explains. “Some voices just feel safer or more sincere, even when there’s no real reason for it. ‘The Traitors’ has shown us that people often trust tone and delivery just as much as facts.”

She adds, “When forming relationships, that can be powerful. A voice that sounds warm and familiar can make someone seem more genuine – and a lot harder to doubt, even when you probably should.”

Results
Most Trusted British Accents

1. Welsh – 22%
2. Geordie – 16%
3. Northern Irish – 15%
4. Scouse – 9%
5. Scottish – 8%
6. Yorkshire – 6%
7. Home Counties – 5%
8. East Anglian – 4%
9. Mancunian – 4%
10. Brummie – 3%
11. Lancashire – 3%
12. Posh/Received Pronunciation – 2%
13. West Country – 2%
14. Cockney – 1%

* Dubbed ‘Blue Monday for relationships’, the 5th January marks the day most people turn to infidelity after festive tensions expose cracks in their relationships.
* New registrations on IllicitEncounters.com are forecast to rise by 38% by the end of this week, prompting the site to bring in additional staff for the second consecutive year to cope with demand.
* 71% say ending an unhappy relationship is a top priority this year, while 56% admit having more sex is high on their 2026 to-do list.

As the decorations come down and reality bites, today is the day more Brits will choose to pursue an affair than any other day of the year, according to relationship experts – and it’s all driven by post-holiday blues and a desire for a fresh start.

The 5th January has been dubbed ‘Blue Monday for relationships’ – sharing the spotlight with Divorce Day, as both land on the first working Monday of the year.  

According to new data from IllicitEncounters.com, registrations are forecast to be 38% higher by the end of this week, making this one of the site’s busiest starts to a year on record. The surge has been so significant that additional customer support staff have been drafted in for the second consecutive year to manage the influx of new members seeking an affair..

The site also surveyed 1,000 members who joined during the first few days of January, revealing the emotional drivers behind the spike. A striking 64% said the festive period made them realise how unhappy they were in their relationship, while 49% admitted that spending extended time with their partner over Christmas confirmed feelings they had been trying to ignore.

When asked about their priorities for the year ahead, 71% said leaving an unhappy relationship or starting divorce proceedings was at the top of their list, followed closely by having more sex (56%), feeling desired again (51%), and putting their own happiness first (47%).

One woman who joined the site this week, Sarah*, 39, from Leeds, says Christmas was the final straw. “On paper, we had a perfect Christmas – family visits, big dinners, presents – but I felt completely invisible the entire time,” she says. “We barely spoke unless it was about logistics. When January arrived, I realised I couldn’t go into another year feeling this lonely. Signing up felt like taking control again.”

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert for IllicitEncounters.com, says the timing is no coincidence. “The festive chaos is over, routines return, and people suddenly have space to act. That combination of clarity, dissatisfaction and opportunity makes early January the most dangerous period of the year for struggling relationships.

The post-Christmas surge in activity on IllicitEncounters has become so consistent that, for the second consecutive year, we’ve needed additional staff to manage the influx of new members. It underlines just how significant early January has become in the relationship calendar.”

“Christmas has a way of magnifying everything that isn’t working in a relationship,” she explains. “There’s pressure to be happy, affectionate and grateful — and when the reality doesn’t match the picture, it can be deeply confronting. By early January, people are emotionally exhausted and far more honest with themselves about what they’re missing.”

She adds: “January represents a psychological reset. For some, that means diets or gym memberships — but for others, it’s about reclaiming intimacy, excitement and feeling wanted again.”

*Name has been changed.