Three in five Brits have a secret they dread friends or family finding out about, a study has revealed.
Researchers found millions of us have a skeleton in our closet, ranging from affairs or relationships through to secret children or even marriages.
Other secrets include shoplifting as a child or getting caught drink-driving at some point in their past.
The research also found that the average person has at least one secret they’ve been carrying for 15 years or more.
The study found people typically have two skeletons hidden away including an internet history they aren’t proud of, debt, sexual turn-ons and phobias they’ve never shared.
Respondents said the person they dread most unearthing one of their skeletons is their partner, while keeping a big secret from mum was also common.
The research, which was commissioned to mark the release of The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, out now on Blu-ray and DVD, also finds the characters unveiling skeletons in their own closets, Harry Burnstow (played by Jeremy Irvine) is hiding the fact that he’s not in the occupation he says he’s in and Eve Parkins (played by Phoebe Fox) is burying the fact she had to give up her baby.
A spokesman for The Woman in Black: Angel of Death said yesterday: “This research shows that most of us have something to hide and you never know what the people you interact with everyday are keeping to themselves.
“A surprising number of people have dark secrets which if revealed they fear would have a big impact on their relationships.
“It’s usually best to be honest and open with the people closest to us, in case our secrets come back to haunt us.”
When asked what they thought would happen if their secrets were revealed to their other halves most feared a reaction of disappointment or even anger.
However a quarter of those polled believed their partner would support them still if they did discover the secret being kept from them.
Others secrets appearing in the list of Brits’ most common skeletons included real-life crushes that could never be revealed, or people hiding their real age from someone.
While others confessed to secrets of having had plastic surgery or being a secret smoker.
Brits also listed hidden tattoos they dreaded parents or loved ones knowing about, exam grades that weren’t good enough or having to pretend to like someone they loath as big secrets.
A significant majority of respondents – 70 per cent – said they dread the day someone finds out the truth, with the same number are driven to keep their secrets out of shame and embarrassment.
Over a quarter said what happened is in the past and doesn’t affect them now, just over a fifth keep quiet to preserve their relationship, 13 per cent do it to keep friendships intact and five per cent fear they would lose their job.
A tenth of people said they are even afraid their family would go as far as disowning them should the truth emerge, while seven per cent enjoy the thrill of having their secrets.
When asked how far they would go to keep the truth hidden 60 per cent said they just don’t tell anyone at all, however five per cent would pay someone to prevent their skeletons being revealed and the same number would assume a false identity.
Other skeletons recorded anonymously by respondents included wetting a friend’s bed multiple times, swindling someone out of money, getting a colleague fired, and having a bump in the car.
The spokesman for The Woman in Black: Angel of Death added: “Living in fear that someone close to us might find out the truth must be very difficult to cope with.
“However, the fact so many of us have skeletons in the closet suggests Brits are pretty good at keeping their biggest secrets hidden.
“The steps some respondents have taken to prevent people finding out are quite novel however for most people the surest way is to tell no one.”
The survey was commissioned to coincide with the release of The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, courtesy of Entertainment One.
BRITS MOST COMMON SKELETONS
1. Having an affair
2. An embarrassing incident
3. Internet history
4. Debt
5. Sexual turn-ons
6. Family history
7. Phobia
8. Purchases
9. You smoke/used to smoke
10. Real-life crushes
11. Addiction
12. You take drugs/used to take drugs
13. Bank/credit card statements
14. Age
15. A criminal past
16. Illness or condition
17. Previous marriage(s)
18. Pretending to like something/someone you loath
19. Sexual orientation
20. Tattoo
21. Secret children
22. Sexually transmitted disease
23. Sexting/Snapchat
24. Education/exam grades
25. Pretending to be good at something
