Since Christmas Day, more than 16,700 people in the UK have registered with the service, almost four times the site’s usual sign-up rate, the company reported on Thursday.
At least according to UndercoverLovers, in the immediate aftermath of Christmas, married people are likely to be unfaithful or seek a divorce than any other time of year. Spokeswoman for the company Emily Pope points to the economic hardships of the year putting greater strains on family life. "For many spouses adultery represents a fantasy escape route from the stresses of domestic reality," she says.
In addition, because married couples are spending more time in close proximity over the festive season, problems within the marriage can be exacerbated. In addition, married people are also more likely to spot a cheating spouse during this time, Pope says.
Her top five telltale signs of a cheating spouse:
1. A hidden gift item discovered before Christmas by the spouse, but which they then never received.Â
2. Christmas text messages or emails from a lover discovered by the husband/wife.
3. Being spotted in a local restaurant by a close friend of their husband/wife having a Christmas meal with their lover.
4. Wearing a Christmas gift item received from a lover.
5. A credit card statement arriving after Christmas showing charges for gift items that the spouse did not receive.
According to a recent global survey by AshleyMadison.com — the largest dating site for married people looking to have affairs, with the tagline "Life is short. Have an affair" — a cheating husband likely is in his 40s, has been married for more than 10 years, and has two children over 10 years old. The typical cheating married woman is likely to be in her 30s, married for five years or less, and had a daughter under three years old.
AshleyMadison.com recently expanded its service to Brazil, which has since attracted one million Brazilians, turning the country into one of its biggest markets. Created 10 years ago, the Canadian company is now present in 24 countries, with eight million members in the United States and six million in Canada.