Virgin TV poll reveals three quarters of Brits admit to lying to their partner

9th March 2017

Research marks the launch of new comedy ‘Imposters’ exclusively on Virgin TV

Is love the greatest con of all? It may well be, according to a Virgin TV poll, as three quarters of Brits admit to lying to their partners, with one in ten doing it regularly and men telling more porkies than women.

The research also found that a quarter of the population do not completely trust their current partner, and five per cent do not trust them at all. Which may not come as a surprise, however, as half of those surveyed reveal that they have been lied to in a relationship, with almost one in three saying the deceit was serious.

The survey was commissioned by Virgin TV to mark the launch of new US comedy Imposters, which sees a persona shifting con-artist leaving her unwitting victims tormented when they realise they have been used and robbed of everything – including their hearts.

Psychologist, Honey Langcaster-James, said: “We Brits can sometimes be a rather suspicious bunch, but it seems we may have every right to be cautious since this research finds most people admit to lying to their partners or being lied to. I’m surprised to see so many couples don’t trust each other though.”

When it comes to bending the truth, it seems that partners are the most common people we lie to, although closely followed by kids and then work colleagues, the survey found. The most common lies told between partners is the classic, “I was listening, honestly” and “I’m not in a bad mood”, closely followed by “I only had one drink” and “I didn’t see your text/missed call”.

Half of respondents admitted to having been caught out in a lie before, with almost a third saying it resulted in an argument with a partner or work colleague. Seven per cent confessed to being dumped or sacked at work as a result of being caught telling untruths.

Furthermore, we also appear to have trust issues across the British Isles too, with the Scottish accent rated as the most trustworthy and the Essex twang the least. People who live in the South West tell the most lies, compared to those that live in Northern Ireland who are the most honest.

Overall, Brits say they are comfortable fibbing, and on average tell 10 lies per day – a mixture of white lies and more serious deceptions.

Honey Langcaster-James added: “In all of our relationships – whether romantic, friendly or in the workplace – trust is a very important issue and necessary for a healthy relationship dynamic. I was surprised by how many respondents said they were happy to bend the truth. Much like the characters in Imposters, it seems you have to be careful who you trust and ensure you know someone very well indeed. Until you are in a genuinely committed relationship with someone you know well, and know has your best interests at heart, the only person you can really rely on is yourself.”

David Bouchier, Chief Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, said: “With a gripping storyline that will seduce you with lust and laughter and then leave you yelling at the screen, we think our Virgin TV customers are going to love Imposters.”

Imposters consists of 10 one-hour long episodes, with the first five episodes available now on Virgin TV on demand and a new episode released every week thereafter.

Virgin TV exclusives are available on demand through the Virgin TV V6 or TiVo boxes as well as on mobile devices through the Virgin TV Anywhere app available on iOS and Android.


ENDS


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