Relationships3 min(s) read
Published 15:58 10 Apr 2026 GMT
An expert has revealed six tell-tale signs that your partner could be having an affair, and while some might seem obvious, there are a few that will come as a shock to suspicious spouses.
The Daily Mail’s assistant beauty editor, Rosie Green, has written a book about her experience with infidelity and shares the top six signs that your partner is having an affair.
While it might seem tactical for the adulterous partner to begin treating their committed partner better to cover their tracks, often the cheating partner will become angrier.
The anger is often because, as Rosie says, “they are addicted to this new love of theirs and you are an obstacle in their way.”
Guilt is probably the emotion most associated with infidelity, and this is because treating you with such disrespect is “behavior contrary to their moral code”.
While guilt alone is not enough to stop them from being unfaithful, it will almost certainly be playing on their mind and causing them to act out of character.
You might notice a change in certain sides of their character or the way they present themselves.
A blatant sign that there is someone new in their life is that they may be putting more effort into their appearance, by buying new clothes or spending more time in the gym.
A change in your partner's sexual frequency could also be a sign that they are seeing someone new on the side.
According to Rosie, it could be either having sex more or less often. Obviously, if intimacy has become more scarce, it is because they are satisfying their sexual needs elsewhere.
If your partner wants to have sex more frequently, it could be that they are “overcompensating” or trying to show off new moves they have learnt with someone else.
Another tell-tale sign your partner is being unfaithful is the one depicted by the movies, coming home smelling different.
However, it may not just be that they smell of someone else’s perfume or aftershave, but the smell of being freshly showered, as they have been having sex in the afternoon and trying to cover it up.
Suddenly becoming secretive about messages, changing their phone password, or even going as far as getting a second phone.
The most surprising sign of a partner having an affair is a term coined by Rosie, “mentionitis”, it is, according to the expert, the “want to share their new experience with someone”, rather than avoiding saying the person’s name.
“Subconsiously, they want to amend the immense pressure, so their name just slips out occasionally.”
