Mistresses get the best gifts

It reveals that the husbands buy their wives technology items that they 'need' - those things they have been wanting all year but may not have been in the budget, such as an iPad to keep them entertained, or a spa voucher to get them out for the day. On the other hand, they spoil their mistresses with lavish gifts such as jewellery, lingerie and fashion accessories, things that women do not usually splurge on.

The research has revealed the most popular gifts for a wife and for a mistress, with men 26% more likely to buy their mistress luxurious jewellery than their wife and more than three times as likely to buy their mistress lingerie.

Sneaky men also opted to pay for their mistresses' presents in cash to avoid an incriminating paper trail and some admitted that they were not looking forward to the festive period with their spouse and family, claiming they would also be seeing their mistress for clandestine romance.

The majority would be sneaking out on Christmas Eve (32%), and the Day of Goodwill (17%), reserving Christmas Day for the family; 32% opted to wait until after the holidays, whilst 8% would sneak out on New Year's Eve and 9% on New Year's Day.

"For most cheaters, the holidays are very stressful and full of anxiety, anticipating the time required to spend with their spouse and family without their extramarital outlet," says Noel Biderman, founder and CEO, AshleyMadison.com. "We also find that this prolonged period of time places enormous strain on relationships particularly for those suffering from marital problems and we are never surprised by the enormous increase in our registration after the holidays."