Britain Set To Become A Nation Of Cougars

Britain is a nation of cougar wannabes, according to research which reveals around two-thirds of older women would love to date a younger guy, while three-quarters of men under 35 dream of a Mrs Robinson-style fling.

The findings are being unveiled on the week that Britain becomes the latest country where Cougarlife.com - the world’s largest cougar dating site - is launching.

Attracting more than 3,000 new members daily across the US, Canada and Australia, the website is expecting 100,000 Brits to sign up in a matter of weeks.

More than two-thirds of men under-35 have already dated older women - of which nearly 15 per cent admit to going out with someone who was more than 10 years older than them.

Jennifer Lopez tops the list of fantasy cougars - while nearly one in 10 men aged between 25 and 35 claims that Ann Widdecombe is their ideal older woman (see table below).

It seems women aged over 35 are the most keen to date younger men - with nearly 70 per cent wanting to do so, compared with only around a half of the over-50s.

Despite his recent indiscretions however, it seems Ashton Kutcher is still the most popular dream younger partner, narrowly beating Justin Timberlake.

The research shows that women believe finding a partner several years their junior will make them feel younger - while men are more interested in having a lady who is in her prime and above game-playing.

Neither men nor women highlighted experience or energy in bed as a primary motive - with more men looking for greater intellect than confidence between the sheets.

Claudia Opdenkelder, president of Cougarlife.com said: "As a proud cougar, I’m delighted to see British women are just as keen as I am to have a younger partner. 

"The research shows that men are looking for more sophisticated partners with intellect 0 and women of a certain age have that in spades which makes us appealing to a younger generation.

"We find that women in particular are drawn to our site when a relationship with someone their own age breaks down and they are seeking fulfilment from a new type of partner - young, in their sexual prime and having the ability to provide them with a confidence boost.

The site is managed and run by Claudia Opdenkelder a proud cougar who at 40 years old has just married her 27 year old husband.

After winning a cougar competition in her native Canada and recognising the potential in the market, Claudia launched the website in February 2009 to provide a resource for women to find their ideal partner.