Is it really a big deal to watch an episode of a television show ahead of your partner when it’s a show you’re meant to be watching together?

Some have suggested that ‘TV series cheating’ is a betrayal – while others suggest its just a practical solution to scheduling clashes.

On The Hard Shoulder, Journal Media Commercial Creative Director Niamh Maher said watching ahead in a TV series without your partner is “grounds for divorce”.

“Honestly, I would be in a huge amount of trouble,” she said.

“We’re watching Traitors together at the moment, me and my husband, and if I attempted to watch it without him, yeah, we would have a serious problem in our household.”

Ms Maher said she thinks there are certain TV shows that “you can get away with” watching ahead – like if it’s a show you know your partner will have no interest in.

“We have different tastes - he definitely likes a lot of shows that are based on islands that have kind of a catchy host,” she said.

“So I don't mind if he wants to watch any of that crap without me, to be honest with you.

“But I think the TV shows that you're committed to, that you put down as a shared experience together is a very important, fundamental part of your relationship, and it would cause absolute ructions in my household if I, for example, watch the trailers final tonight without him.”

Ms Maher said she would rewatch a show and feign surprise for the sake of a happy marriage.

“I do pause for thought, and I think, do you know what I should stop right now, because my husband would absolutely love to watch this, but then I'm also willing to watch it again,” she said.

“You do have to do for that happy married life.”

Love Island All Stars cast. Image: @loveisland on Instagram

Social Media Content Creator Holly Carpenter also joined the show, saying she isn’t a good enough liar to feign surprise if she were to rewatch a programme she had watched without her partner.

“I would be like your one in Traitors who wasn't very good at actually being a traitor,” she said.

“I think it depends on how invested you are in the show - like we were watching the penguin with Colin Farrell recently and that was one of those ones where the phones were down, the lights were off - we were very invested.

“I would have been fuming if you went ahead and watched an episode of that, because it was so fast paced and I just was so into it.”

Ms Carpenter said it would be a different story if she watched an episode of Love Island All Stars without her fiancée as she would get ‘spoilers’ online.

“So he does let me watch that without him, but… then I have to deal with him asking a million questions when we watch the next episode,” she said.

Ms Carpenter said she actually thinks it’s more fun to watch the show together.

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Couple Watching TV Together. Image: Alamy