When it comes to love, the world is now our oyster - we can choose who to date, live with, marry or divorce.

But it seems having endless options hasn"t stopped couples from straying.

A staggering 47 percent of the British population has admitted to cheating on a partner - whilst 63 percent have discovered they have been cheated on, a new survey has revealed.

But despite the nation’s infidelities, Brits are a forgiving bunch, with 42 percent of those surveyed admitting they have taken back a partner after being cheated on.

Some (30 percent) even confessed they would forgive their partner for having a one night stand.

Commenting on the findings, Sexpert Siski Green, author of How to Blow His Mind in Bed, said: "The fact is that most of the population has done it, had it done to them, or at least thought about it.

"Human beings seem to be programmed to crave new things - new flavours in food, new music, new clothes - which is why making a relationship work, can be difficult.

Over thirty percent of respondents said they would let their partner cheat on them if it was with a celebrity.

Cheryl Cole took the gong for being the celebrity that people would most likely let their partners cheat on them with (21 percent), followed by Angelina Jolie (19 percent) and Kelly Brook (13 percent).

Motivation to cheat was usually fuelled by alcohol, with a quarter (25 percent) of respondents blaming being drunk and not in control of their actions as the primary reason for their philandering ways, the MSN research revealed.

One fifth (20 percent) of respondents said that revenge was their primary motivation, as they sought to get their own back on a cheating partner.