6 key signs your partner cheated on you at their Christmas party & why their comfy joggers could be key

AFTER too many festive tipples, the work Christmas party can be a hotbed of betrayal.

And one recent poll says the majority of cheats who hook up with a colleague are aged 40 to 60.

Sex and relationship expert Kate Taylor reveals secret signs that show your partner may have played away.

THEY GESTURE WITH BOTH HANDS

AS your partner describes their evening, are they flinging their arms around like they’re conducting an orchestra? They might be talking a load of bassoons.

An American research project analysed clips of people during courtroom trials and found that liars were much more likely than honest people to use both hands to gesticulate.

In fact, people gestured with both hands in 40 per cent of the lying videos, compared to 25 per cent in the honest clips.

THEY CLEAN THE LOO

HAS your partner thrown themselves into doing the worst domestic chores? They could be experiencing what psychologists call the “Dobby Effect”.

Dobby is a character in Harry Potter that lives to serve its master.

Research has found that people suffering from extreme guilt – who can’t confess to unburden their conscience – often throw themselves into self-punishment.

Your partner might take on the messiest chores, clean the house, buy you expensive gifts, or insist on doing all the washing up.

Every cloud, right?

THEY’RE A LITTLE HOARSE

WHEN asked about the party, does your partner keep clearing their throat?

It could mean they were hitting the karaoke pretty hard – or they were hitting on someone else.

According to a study by the FBI, liars undergo severe physiological stress that puts their body into fight-or-flight mode.

One symptom of this is the need to keep clearing the throat.

In men, the “ahems” are also accompanied by a jump in their Adam’s apple.

Other clues to look for are an increase in facial sweat, with the top lip, forehead and chin starting to drip.

THEY’RE WEARING BAGGY CLOTHES

YOU’D expect a cheater to become full of the joys of spring, right?

Wrong. Instead of feeling buoyed up by confidence and excitement, cheaters often become literally weighed down by guilt.

Studies of unfaithful partners show that guilt causes physical sensations of heaviness, with cheating partners often believing they weighed more after an affair than they did before.

Is your partner shuffling round in elasticated waistbands? They might have been up to no good.

THEY STARE INTO YOUR EYES

DON’T expect a cheater to avoid making eye contact.

While shiftiness can be a clue that someone’s telling porkies, a study by the University of Michigan found that liars were actually 70 per cent more likely to maintain eye contact while they’re spinning their web of deceit.

A more reliable sign of deception is someone pursing or pouting their lips.

It’s stressful to lie, and our faces often “leak” signs that we don’t agree with what we’re saying.

An urge to cover, or close, the mouth is often a giveaway.

See if they’re scratching their nose, touching their mouth, pursing their lips or mumbling.

THEY GO THROUGH YOUR PHONE

HAS your partner recently become more jealous and possessive, and started accusing you of playing away?

Don’t be fooled – this is often a sign that a person is being unfaithful themselves.

A study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships revealed that people who were getting busy outside their relationship were much more likely than faithful types to suspect their partners of cheating.