So, it appears that the magic number 10 is the ‘Goldilocks’ figure… According to the survey!

To break down the figures, a poll of more than 1,000 people who were active in online dating had been quizzed. Somewhere between 12 and eight was considered to be the best. This was chosen by 37% of men and 38% of women.

The second most popular answer to the survey lay between eight and four. This was picked by 28% of men and 24% of women. Coming in third was none to four (18% of men and 16% of women). Men in particular, it seems, are much more wary of ladies who have a higher number of previous partners than ten. Only 9% of men and 12% of women chose 11-15 partners. Those who figured 16 to 20 previous lovers were okay were 7% of women and 4% of men.

So, What Numbers Were Big Turn Offs?

Anything above 20 turned out to be a major turn off for both women and men alike. Only 4% of men and 3% of women saw 20 as an acceptable number. When it came to those who wanted to know and those who didn’t, the numbers showed that 65% of women didn’t want to find out and 35% would have been interested.

On the male side of things, only around 30% had any interest in the sexual history of the woman they were dating. 70% announced that they were happier in the dark. Undoubtedly, these figures show us an interesting revelation. It seems that when it comes to promiscuity, men tend to be less tolerant of it.

Celebrities and Their Magic Numbers

There are many celebrities who have slept with more than 10 people, including Warren Beatty who claims to have slept with around 12, 775. According to Russell Brand, he had three women a day during his heyday. Mick Jagger can happily boast around 4,000.

According to IllicitEncounters.com spokesman Christian Grant: "The dating game is changing so quickly. "I think we are all becoming a lot more tolerant and sexually adventurous. "If we had conducted this poll 10 years ago, men would have expected a potential partner to have slept with far fewer people.”

Business consultant Gweneth Lee (45) frequently dates married men on IllicitEncounters and has said: "It is definitely a perfect ten for me. "You want to date a man who is confident and knows what he is doing sexually.”

"To be good in bed, you need experience and you get that through getting to know what women want."

The West London business consultant states that she has been on IllicitEncounters for the last three years. As part of her own dating etiquette, she would never reveal to a many how many people she has slept with. She states that although she is frequently asked, she prefers to keep it a mystery.