'I thought I was happily married, then Alexa tore my world apart'

Smart assistants like Amazon Alexa, Siri, and Google Home are not just for playing music or turning down the lights – they're becoming the unexpected sleuths in our homes.

A UK private investigator has suggested that these clever gadgets could be unwitting detectives after working on a case where a woman discovered her husband was cheating. Christopher Thomas, from UK Private Investigators, said: "While the internet has made cheating easier in my opinion, smart devices are levelling the playing field.

"These devices record so much information and many log what has been said or requested." A client grew suspicious after spotting odd voice commands and song requests on their shared Alexa history, according to Christopher.

"She wasn't snooping," he clarified. "She was just trying to re-play a song she'd heard earlier. But when she opened the Alexa app, she found a string of romantic song requests, followed by a dinner recipe, and then mood lighting being set, all while she was at work."

Initially, she thought it might be a system error or an accidental repeat of an old command. "When she confronted her partner, he claimed he must have hit the wrong button on the app remotely. But the voice logs told a different story," Christopher revealed.

"The voice commands had been recorded and saved. It wasn't him and it definitely wasn't her." The commands included "play a romantic playlist, set dining lights to 40%," and advice on "how to cook duck confit."

The digital forensics expert says that smart technology is increasingly playing the role of detective in infidelity cases, as people often overlook how extensively they're monitored. "These devices track everything including the exact words used, the time of day, even who said what. You might delete your texts, but smart assistants keep a record of your day."

Christopher points out that discovering deceit in relationships often comes down to piecing together the subtle clues rather than cinematic confrontations. "In the real world, it's about gathering breadcrumbs that reveal the full story."

He warns that while smart devices offer convenience, they also document interactions with undeniable clarity. "Alexa doesn't lie," he remarked, signalling that a smart speaker may be privy to more secrets than one imagines when it comes to unfaithful partners.

It comes after one man admitted to sleeping with his brother's wife after a drunken night out. Speaking to agony aunt Coleen Nolan, the unamed man revealed that he's 'eaten up with guilt' after the drunken, one-off encounter.

He said: "I got chatting to my sister-in-law about life and then we moved on to discussing my brother and she admitted that she’s fallen out of love with him. The conversation got really deep and personal, and sparks started to fly. Unfortunately, one thing led to another and I ended up in bed with her."

The brother asked Coleen whether or not he should come clean. She responded: "To be completely honest, I think if you tell your brother, your relationship is as good as over. Ask yourself what your motive is for telling him – is it just about you and getting rid of your guilt by handing the problem to him?

"It is hard to live with guilt, but sometimes when you’ve made a bad choice, you have to. I guess there’s a chance his wife will pursue a divorce, as it’s clear the marriage is in trouble and she’s admitted she’s not in love with him, so your problem might go away. You could leave it and pray it never comes out – the danger is, if your brother and his wife get into an argument and she wants to hurt him, she might blurt out that she slept with you.

"So, the next question is, can you trust her? It’s less important for her to keep what happened a secret because she can walk away and move on, but your relationship with your brother will be left in ruins.

"You say you’ve never spoken to her about that night, but maybe it would be a good idea to have a conversation during a break at work about how you handle things going forward. It might make things less awkward when you have to see each other with the rest of the family and provide some sort of reassurance."