Rise in ‘revenge cheating’ as women hit back at their unfaithful partners

THE festive season puts a lot of strain on relationships as spending days on end with our families and in-laws can lead to arguments.

Which is why it’s no surprise that divorces spike in the new year.

But rather than breaking up, some people cheat instead.

Many would ditch their partner if they discovered they had been unfaithful – but there’s now a rise in ‘revenge cheating’.

This is when people have an affair to get back at their partner after doing the same – and purposefully tell them to get a reaction.

Website , designed for married people to find affairs, surveyed 1,000 of its members about cheating.

They found that revenge cheating is more common among women, with 37 per cent admitting to it, compared with 31 per cent of men.

In more than half – 54 per cent – of cases, the cheater told their partner about their affair to inflict the most emotional damage.

But 81 per cent of revenge cheaters felt justified as their partner had done the dirty in the first place.

Illicit Encounters spokesman, Christian Grant, said: “There has been a big rise in the number of women revenge cheating in the last year.

“They are stuck in unhappy relationship which they cannot afford to leave because of house prices and economic uncertainty.

“They had not planned to cheat but feel justified in doing so because their partner has had an affair first.”

But he said sometimes it’s not all bad, adding: “Such tit-for-tat cheating can sometimes bring couples closer together because after both have an affair there is no sense of grievance on either side.

“Many discover they are happier with what they’ve already got, realising the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

“So if you discover that your partner has been unfaithful this Christmas the best advice might well be to have an affair, too.”

We recently revealed a bride read out her cheating fiancé’s texts instead of her vows.

And this woman asked if sexting counts as cheating, so what do you think?

Plus this mum reveals why she’s glad her husband cheated and walked out.