A staggering 50% of adults in romantic relationships confess to being “TV cheats” as they secretly devoure an entire series without their partner’s knowledge.
A survey of 2,000 TV-loving couples revealed that a whopping 86% have had to rewatch episodes to conceal their sneaky viewing habits, keeping their unsuspecting partner in the dark. On average, these “TV cheats” have endured four episodes in silence, allowing their partner to “catch up”.
Research conducted by Sky TV found that Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and The Day of the Jackal were among the top shows that people secretly watched behind their partners’ backs.
Astonishingly, 76% admitted to covertly watching the next episode of a shared series, unable to resist the temptation of discovering what happens next, and 43% have even sneakily watched a series finale.
A third (35%) have unfortunately been exposed by inadvertently dropping a spoiler during a chat about something they hadn’t been meant to see yet. And 39% have been discovered midway through an episode they weren’t supposed to be watching.
Three in 10 said their partner took it well, while others were less forgiving. According to the study, one in five demanded an explanation, while 17% confessed to feeling ‘betrayed’.
On the other hand, 27% of participants have found themselves on the receiving end of this TV betrayal, as their partner has gone ahead and watched something without them.
For those who want to join the ranks of sneaky binge-watchers, they can simply utter “Just one more episode” into their Sky Glass or Sky Stream remote to discover something worthy of a marathon viewing session.
Jamie Morris from Sky, said: “We have so much gripping telly to choose from, and sometimes ‘one more episode’ is just too much to resist.
“We understand great shows can be addictive, but whether it’s The Day of the Jackal, or something from our extensive back catalogue of iconic series, there’s plenty to watch without having to go behind your other half’s back.”
