The unspoken rule of waiting until the third date before sex might be coming to an end, as 13% of Brits admit they wait until their tenth meeting before taking things to the bedroom. The new research, conducted by Paddy Power Games, reveals that a longer wait is particularly popular amongst female daters, as they are just as likely to sleep with their new partner after 10 dates (16%) as they are after traditional three.
Men, however, seem to be in more of a hurry, with only 9% prepared to hold out until date 10. In fact, over a fifth picked the third date as the ideal time (22%), while as many as 12% would happily get between the sheets during a first date, compared to just 8% of women.
Number of dates Brits wait before having sex with a new partner:
Rank |
Number of dates |
Total |
Men |
Women |
1 |
Third date |
19% |
22% |
16% |
2 |
Ten dates or more |
13% |
9% |
16% |
3 |
Second date |
12% |
17% |
9% |
4 |
Fourth date |
12% |
11% |
12% |
5 |
First date |
10% |
12% |
8% |
6 |
Five dates |
10% |
9% |
11% |
7 |
Six dates |
7% |
5% |
8% |
8 |
Seven dates |
3% |
2% |
4% |
9 |
Eight dates |
1% |
1% |
2% |
10 |
Nine dates |
1% |
0% |
1% |
More than a quarter of those surveyed said they’d never consider someone a long-term partner if they sleep together on a first date (26%).
A Paddy Power Games spokesperson said: “Gone are the days of the three-date rule – 10 dates is the way to go, especially if you want to bag yourself a life-long partner."
