by Sandra Piddock

Created on: February 22, 2013

Marriage is a revered institution, but some spouses soon forget the vows they made when temptation comes their way. It's no excuse of course, but people in the public eye are exposed to more temptation than most, and being in the public eye, they usually get caught out. Either that or the dumped lover goes on to 'kiss and tell' - and make a fortune in the process. These are some of the most public extramarital affairs of the 21st century.

Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel

This affair came to light after after Woods crashed his car into a tree in the small hours while fleeing from his outraged wife, Elin, who had found a text from Rachel on his phone. The supposedly squeaky clean sportsman and family man was figuratively caught with his pants down in November 2009.

As more details emerged of the 8 month affair with Rachel - a night club manager whose fiance had been killed in the Twin Towers tragedy of 9/11 - it became clear that this was no single aberration. 14 other women came forward claiming affairs with the golfing superstar. They included porn stars, strippers, models and waitresses - one of whom, Mindy Lawton, had a 14 month affair with Woods in 2006/7. Rachel said she thought it was real love, and didn't realise she wasn't the only number in Woods' little black book.

Elin divorced Tiger woods in 2010, and he took a break from top flight golf. He's back now, but he's yet to win a major tournament since the scandal broke. Bizarrely, Rachel Uchitel is now a private detective, investigating cheating spouses. Well, they do say that reformed poachers make the best gamekeepers!

David Beckham and Rebecca Loos

In 2004, David Beckham's image as a wholesome family man took a severe knock when his former assistant Rebecca Loos alleged she'd had a 4 month affair with the international footballer. The story was reported in the 'News of the World,' and Loos is said to have received around £100,000 for the 'kiss and tell' expose. Beckham denied the affair, but two other women also came out of the woodwork.

Victoria must have either believed him or forgiven him, because they are still together, and have had two more children since the story broke. The scandal surfaced again in 2011, during the Levinson Inquiry into press standards and practices in the wake of the 'News of the World' phone hacking scandal.

Nigel Thurlbeck, chief reporter on the newspaper in 2004, maintained that the tabloid had proof of the affair, and that it was in the public interest to report

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