Weekly News 50

'WE RISKED IT ALL FOR A FLING' 

As racy BBC thriller Apple Tree Yard hits screens, we speak to four real women with different reasons for having an affair… from loneliness to revenge

This story comes from The Sun and is written by Nikki Watkins.

The story is a real-life follow up to the new BBC series Apple Tree Yard, based on the novel by Louise Doughty, which follows a married woman having an affair with a married man. 

I was intrigued by this article, as it seemed to suggest that cheating and having an affair is an acceptable, or justifiable thing to do in modern society, this is evidenced further by it's common reoccurrence across television and film and in literature, such as Apple Tree Yard, which represents the issue as common and relatable, which is worrying. It is estimated that roughly 42% of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, and the article gives specific examples of that.

Watkins follows 4 women who all claim to have had affairs for different reasons, specifically;

- I cheated... to appreciate what I had

- I cheated... because I was so lonely

-I cheated... because I fell in love

-I cheated... to get revenge 

With only one of the women still remaining with her original partner, the openness and exposure these women are getting, almost glorifying having an affair, brings into question the stability of modern relationships/marriages. Sites such as Maritalaffair.co.uk and meet2cheat.co.uk are also normalising the situation, and charging people to do so.

This article irritated me really, especially following the recent Women's Marches against Trump's inauguration to promote equality for women as well as people from the LGBTQ community, who are slammed by Evangelicals and other 'traditional' groups for damaging the sanctity of marriage. 

Although the issue of cheating is definitely not confined to women, I think this article provides a negative representation not only of married women, but marriages in general, suggesting that such a traditional institution is just as easily corruptible as other aspects of 21st century life.