The average coupled-up man has a secret crush on three women – with friends, colleagues or mate’s partners’ topping the list, it has been revealed. Researchers, who polled 2,000 adults in relationships, found four in ten men are attracted to one of their partner’s mates, while a third said they fancy someone they work with. 

In fact a quarter of men admitted to finding two of their co-workers attractive.

Additionally, one in ten men said they held a strong attraction for a neighbour who lives in their street, while a fifth said they had a crush on a friend’s girlfriend or wife. 

The study also found men typically have a crush on five female celebrities.

A spokesman for the Celebalike app, which commissioned the survey, said:

”It seems to be a common stereotype that men fancy people outside of their relationship and the results show they do have a few secrets.

”It’s normal for both sexes to still find other people attractive but there’s no reason why that should impact the effort and commitment put into relationship if it’s something worth having. 

”Fancying a celebrity is to be expected but it gets a little trickier when that person is someone we see day to day, especially if we’re in a committed relationship.” 

Controversially, one in ten men in relationships admitted they have stopped fancying their partner all together, while one in four men said their partner often gets very jealous. 

Perhaps with good reason though, as 43% of blokes in relationships admit they flirt with other women behind their partner’s back, and one in ten say they do this a lot. 

One in five of the men surveyed confessed to already having cheated on their current partner.

A fifth of men said their partner forbids them from spending time with a specific member of the opposite sex, most likely a friend of the opposite sex or someone at work.