Tag: adultery capitals

Ascot crowned UK’s adultery capital as wealthy towns dominate cheating charts – while Essex is home to the nation’s most faithful lovers

* Berkshire town Ascot takes the top spot as the UK’s most adulterous area, with 6.72% of its population currently having an affair.
* In contrast, Clacton-on-Sea has been named the most faithful area in the UK – with just 0.31% of residents straying.
* Overall, infidelity across the UK has risen by 6% since the start of 2025.
* The results come from the 2025 Infidelity Index by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading affairs site.

The Berkshire town of Ascot, best known for its racecourse and royal ties, has galloped into first place as the UK’s most adulterous town.

According to data from IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading extramarital dating site, Ascot tops the list for 2025 – proving that even behind the well-kept hedges and high-end postcodes, passion often strays beyond the picket fence.

The affairs site’s annual Infidelity Index reveals a striking 6.72% of Ascot’s population engaged in affairs in 2025, making it the new adultery capital of Britain.

Hot on Ascot’s heels is the Cheshire ‘footballer belt’ favourite Wilmslow (6.23%), followed surprisingly by the Scottish Highlands town of Alness (6.01%) – showing that no corner of the UK is immune to temptation.

Other surprising hotspots include Fowey in Cornwall (5.69%) and Ludlow in Shropshire (5.51%), where the quiet countryside apparently conceals a roaring appetite for romance.

Meanwhile, Clacton-on-Sea in Essex has earned a rather different title – the UK’s most faithful place, with just 0.31% of locals admitting to an affair. It means the seaside town now has two claims to fame in 2025: not only is it home to Britain’s most loyal lovers, but it’s also represented by Nigel Farage, who was voted the UK’s sexiest politician earlier this year by members of the affairs site.

Other faithful hotspots include Harlow (0.42%), Hartlepool (0.49%), and Alloa (0.57%), with Swindon – last year’s most faithful town – still holding strong at 0.60%.

This year’s data also reveals a 6% rise in affairs across the UK since January, continuing a two-decade trend of growing extramarital activity. 

Commenting on this year’s results, Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert for IllicitEncounters.com, said: “Affluent commuter towns like Ascot and Wilmslow are classic affair hotspots. These places are hubs for high-flying careers, long commutes, and significant stress – affairs can become a form of release or a way to reclaim your identity, so it’s no surprise these places are buzzing with passion.”

Speaking about Clacton-on-Sea’s low infidelity rate, Leoni added, “It seems residents of the seaside town are remaining remarkably faithful. Perhaps the political drama on their doorstep is providing enough excitement for everyone, leaving no reason to stray from their partners.”

Results

Most Unfaithful Towns in 2025

  1. Ascot, Berkshire (6.72%)
  2. Wilmslow, Cheshire (6.23%)
  3. Alness, Highlands (6.01%)
  4. Fowey, Cornwall (5.69%)
  5. Ludlow, Shropshire (5.51%)
  6. Framlingham, Suffolk (5.46%)
  7. Weybridge, Surrey (5.45%)
  8. Warwick, Warwickshire (5.33%)
  9. Caerphilly, Caerphilly (5.28%)
  10. Motherwell, Lanarkshire (5.11%)

Most Faithful Towns in 2025

  1. Clacton-on-Sea, Essex (0.31%)
  2. Harlow, Essex (0.42%)
  3. Hartlepool, County Durham (0.49%)
  4. Alloa, Clackmannanshire (0.57%)
  5. Wigan, Greater Manchester (0.58%)
  6. Washington, Tyne and Wear (0.58%)
  7. Swindon, Wiltshire (0.60%)
  8. Bournemouth, Dorset (0.61%)
  9. Gateshead, Tyne and Wear (0.62%)
  10. Paignton, Devon (0.63%)

Cheltenham crowned the UK’s new adultery capital as the Cotswolds town sees incredible jump in affairs due to the “Rivals effect” –  while Swindon is declared the most faithful place to live

* The quaint town in the Cotswolds has topped the charts in the UK’s most popular places for extramarital affairs, with 6.98% of the town’s population straying in 2024.

* Swindon has been revealed as the UK’s most faithful town, with only 0.35% of its residents involved in affairs.

* Nationwide infidelity is on the rise, with UK affairs up 8% since the start of the year – the highest annual rise in 20 years.

* Figures are taken from the annual Infidelity Index data provided by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading affairs site.

The picturesque town of Cheltenham has become the UK’s surprising new hotbed for infidelity, topping the nation’s rankings with 6.98% of its population reportedly involved in affairs. 

The spike in extramarital activity in Cheltenham – now known as the UK’s adultery capital – has been attributed to what experts are dubbing the “Rivals effect,” after the recent television adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel, Rivals, which has sparked intrigue among locals in the Cotswolds.

The annual Infidelity Index statistics released by extramarital dating site IllicitEncounters.com shows the UK’s cheating hotspots, also revealed that since the release of the Disney+ series in October, sign-ups across the Cotswolds have risen by a whopping 47%. 

Hot on Cheltenham’s heels is the leafy town of Farnham in Surrey, where 5.99% of residents are engaging in affairs, followed by Motherwell in Lanarkshire with a rate of 5.63%. While these towns might appear quaint, it seems behind the scenes, passion is heating up.

Meanwhile, Swindon in Wiltshire is celebrating a very different title: the UK’s most faithful town, with only 0.35% of the population reportedly straying. Close behind are Bracknell (Berkshire) and Dewsbury (West Yorkshire), with just 0.36% and 0.39% of residents involved in extramarital affairs. 

This year’s poll also reveals a national rise in infidelity, with affairs up 8% across the UK since the start of the year – the highest annual rise in the 20 years since the affairs site was founded.

Commenting on this year’s Infidelity Index results, sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, Jessica Leoni said, “While picturesque towns like Cheltenham may seem serene on the surface, data suggests that love lives here are anything but tranquil.”

Leoni also acknowledges that the latest Disney+ show Rivals might be fueling some extra curiosity this year. “A show like Rivals doesn’t directly cause an affair,” she clarifies, “but its mix of forbidden love and glamorous Cotswold settings adds a layer of fantasy that can influence people’s perspectives on relationships, especially in places like Cheltenham where the show feels close to home.”

Most affairs in 2024

  1. Cheltenham (Gloucestershire) 6.98% of town population
  2. Farnham (Surrey) 5.99%
  3. Motherwell (Lanarkshire) 5.63%
  4. Warwick (Warwickshire) 5.61%
  5. Braintree (Essex) 5.55%
  6. Rhyl (Denhbigshire) 5.36%
  7. Borehamwood (Hertfordshire) 5.35%
  8. Newbury (Berkshire) 5.23%
  9. Frome (Somerset) 5.18%
  10. Wilmslow (Cheshire) 5.12%

Most faithful in 2024

  1. Swindon (Wiltshire) 0.35%  of town population
  2. Bracknell (Berkshire) 0.36%
  3. Dewsbury (West Yorkshire) 0.39%
  4. Castlereagh (Castlereagh) 0.44%
  5. Rotherham (South Yorkshire) 0.58%

Frome crowned the UK’s new adultery capital as the town’s housing crisis causes an ‘avalanche’ of affairs while couples struggle with huge rent rises during the cost of living crisis – while Blackpool is declared the most faithful town

* The posh Somerset market town – recently declared the ‘best place to live in the South West’ – tops the new cheating map listing the UK’s 400 top places for extra-marital affairs

* Frome has 1,309 people having affairs – 7.32% of the town’s population

* The award will be added to Frome’s mantelpiece, having also recently been recognised as the best place to live, the most stylish town and one of the most welcoming places in the UK

* Cheating in Frome is out of control with a massive 131% rise in adultery since 2022 as rising rents leave couples looking for a cheaper alternative to divorce 

* Figures are featured in the new Infidelity Index cheating table compiled by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading affairs site

The cheating capital of the UK is swanky Frome in Somerset, according to a new map of the country’s top 400 infidelity hotspots.

The picturesque market town – recently declared the ‘best place to live in the South West’ – has now officially been named the area people are most likely to cheat on their partner.

Frome has 1,309 people who are having affairs, which makes up 7.32% of the town’s population – a ‘Frome-nomenal’ 131% increase on 2022’s data of just 566 affairs.

The spike in affairs has been linked to the housing crisis that was officially declared by the town last month – with couples struggling to keep up with soaring rental rates paired with the cost of living crisis, people are looking for a cheaper alternative to divorce.

The most faithful town is Blackpool with just 0.38% of the town’s population having affairs (570 cheats).

The interactive Infidelity Index allows users to search a town, city or postcode to discover how many people are having affairs in any locality.

This year’s table from IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading dating site for married people, shows that cheating has risen by 7% nationally since the start of the year as the cost of living crisis takes its toll on relationships. 

It is the highest annual rise in the 20 years since the dating site was founded.

Click here to find your local figure – based on data from one million postcodes – 

www.infidelityindex.co.uk
 

In second place is Weybridge with 946 cheats (5.95% of the population), followed by Wilmslow in third place with 1,484 cheats (5.77% of the population), Fulwood is fourth with 1,684 cheats (5.73% of the population) and Egham comes fifth with 422 cheats (5.72%).

Caerphilly is Wales’ hotbed for infidelity, coming 8th in the table with 1,998 people cheating on their partners (5.31% of the town’s population).

Motherwell has been declared Scotland’s most unfaithful town taking 10th place, with 1,447 cheats (5.14% of the town’s population).

Northern Ireland, on the other hand, is the most faithful country in the UK with its top town for cheating taking 157th place with 541 cheats in Newtownards (just 2.35% of the town’s population).

IllicitEncounters.com spokeswoman Jessica Leoni said “Frome is the new cheating capital of the UK. There’s been an avalanche of affairs, as no doubt couples are bearing the brunt of the cost of living crisis, and that reflects in these statistics. 

High mortgage repayments, rising rent, sky-high energy bills, an increase in food prices – with all of this financial strain is it any wonder that relationships are being so badly affected?

On top of that, divorce is a costly and drawn-out process – a headache no one wants to deal with unless absolutely necessary. Having an affair is a cheaper and more accessible alternative, so it’s not surprising that numbers have shot up this year.”

More than 1.5 million people have registered with IllicitEncounters since it started in 2003.

The average income of men on the site is £56,000 a year – with most working in professional jobs – while the female average is £48,000 a year.

The UK’s top 20 cheating hotspots
 

1. Frome, Somerset – 1,309 cheats (7.32% of the town’s population)

2. Weybridge, Surrey – 946 cheats (5.95%)

3. Wilmslow, Cheshire – 1,484 cheats (5.77%)

4. Fulwood, Lancashire – 1,684 cheats (5.73%)

5. Egham, Surrey – 422 cheats (5.72%)

6. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire – 1,288 cheats (5.53%)

7. Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire – 526 cheats (5.35%)

8. Caerphilly, Caerphilly – 1,998 cheats (5.31%)

9. Leatherhead, Surrey – 589 cheats (5.21%)

10. Motherwell, North Lanarkshire – 1,447 cheats (5.14%)

11. Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire – 847 cheats (5.11%)

12. Redhill, Surrey – 1382 cheats (4.89%)

13. Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire – 1,222 cheats (4.87%)

14. Arnold, Nottinghamshire – 1,946 cheats (4.87%)

15. Newton Abbot, Devon – 1,019 cheats (4.86%)

16. Kidsgrove, Staffordshire – 1,040 cheats (4.82%)

17. Chorley, Lancashire – 1,430 cheats (4.82%)

18. Farnham, Surrey – 1,007 cheats (4.80%)

19. Warwick, Warwickshire – 1,226 (4.77%)

20. Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire – 1,043 cheats (4.71%)

The UK’s top 10 most faithful towns
 

1. Blackpool, Lancashire – 570 cheats (0.38% of the town’s population)

2. Brentwood, Essex – 296 cheats (0.39%)

3. Wigan, Greater Manchester – 965 cheats (0.40%)

4. Craigavon, Craigavon – 229 cheats (0.43%)

5. Hartlepool, County Durham – 339 cheats (0.47%)

6. Ballymena, Ballymena – 103 cheats (0.49%)

7. Barry, Angus – 222 cheats (0.50%)

8. Bournemouth, Dorset – 780 cheats (0.51%)

9. Paignton, Devon – 272 cheats (0.51%)

10. Washington, Tyne and Wear – 296 cheats (0.54%)