Cheating tops list of why couples split.

There are many reasons why a relationship can go awry, from a sordid lovers’ tryst to simply drifting apart. No matter how hard two people try, sometimes it is impossible for them to stay together.


According to a survey courtesy of online dating site MyBest.co.uk, the most common cause of the break up of a relationship is infidelity, with 29 per cent of those surveyed saying their last relationship ended because the other person was unfaithful.

Of those surveyed, 23 per cent cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, with 14 per cent claiming they are not sure what happened.

Only 14 per cent say they are still on friendly terms with their most recent ex, while three per cent claim they still sleep together.

Fortunately, only three per cent of those surveyed said their break-up was an angry one, while nine per cent said it was an amicable separation.

Jeni Lowings, a 21-year-old illustration student at the University of Lincoln, said her last relationship broke down because of a miscommunication of boundaries. She said: “He was always very adamant we were never going to be together properly.

“He kept saying he didn’t do girlfriends and was insistent about me sleeping with other people. So one night, I did, and when I told him, he went weird on me.

“We argued a lot and I decided it was all or nothing. I wanted to be with him, but it seemed he didn’t want the same. It ended because I realised I liked him a lot more than he had ever liked me.

“That was a year ago though. We speak pretty regularly these days and get on pretty well. There are no hard feelings.

“It might not have been an ‘official’ relationship, but I still consider him an ex, and I still consider what happened to be a break-up.”

Adam Clayton, a 22-year-old interior designer living in the centre of Lincoln, said his last break-up was socially devastating and divided his group of friends in two. He said: “We were all a pretty close group of friends, before me and my ex started going out.

“We broke up when she cheated on me. It was a pretty standard affair as far as infidelity goes – all those excuses about being drunk, not really meaning it and not really knowing what was going on.

“But once that trust is gone, even if it was one drunken mistake, you can’t get it back.

“I was completely heartbroken. It made a lot of our friends feel awkward, almost as if they had to ‘pick a side’. Things have never really been the same with us all since.”