Does your husband secretly think he's better looking than you? We asked two couples to rate their partner's looks. Some of the replies will make steam come out of your ears

WE'RE BOTH SO BEAUTIFUL

Fliss Bench, 26, a marketing manager, and her husband, Duncan, 27, a mechanic, live in Godalming, Surrey.

What makes our relationship tick: Duncan and Fliss believe they've been 'blessed by above-average looks'

FLISS: There have been many occasions when I've been out with Duncan, popped to the loo and in the short time I'm gone some woman will have made a move and be chatting him up at the bar.

Does it bother me? Absolutely not, because the minute he tells them that he's with me, the look on their face says it all. Quite simply, they can't compete. Duncan and I know we look good. We wouldn't be together if we didn't and we certainly wouldn't be able to cope with the attention from other men and women if one of us was less good-looking than the other.

One of the main things that attracted me to Duncan, when we met four years ago at the races, was the fact he is 6 ft 2 in.

The first thought that crossed my mind was: 'Great, I can wear heels with this man and still be smaller than him, so we'll look good standing next to each other.'

I'm athletic and sporty: we do rock climbing, cycling and running together. I like to look after my body.

This might sound odd to other couples, but we spend a lot of time and energy on how we come across to the outside world.

I've always had good-looking boyfriends, but never one as attractive as Duncan. I really feel that I've met my match.

We know we complement each other physically and when we're dressing to go out for dinner or to see friends, we do it as a team.

I would never wear something that clashed with Duncan or outshone his outfit. We have a joint style that really works together. For instance, it would be unheard of for me to wear pastels if Duncan was wearing stripes.

This might seem a little obsessive, but if you look at any celebrity couple - and we often critique what makes famous people look good together - they're doing exactly the same thing.

I can't imagine being with a man who wasn't on the same level as me physically. In my experience, couples who look good together, stay together. And they seem more liked by other people, too.

DUNCAN: I've lost count of the number of times complete strangers have come up to me and Fliss and said: 'You two are going to have beautiful babies.'

And it's true - we have been blessed by above-average looks and athletic bodies. It's what makes our relationship tick.

I have good-looking friends with less attractive girlfriends and they have no end of problems with insecurity and jealousy. Fliss and I don't need to worry about any of that because we're perfectly suited physically and that gives our relationship an edge other people don't have.

It might sound superficial but, actually, it's crucially important. Why should looks be any different to all the other stuff that draws people together?

You wouldn't get married if you had opposing views on politics or religion, or if one of you hated holidaying in the sun or eating meat. It's all about compatibility.

For us, that just happens to aesthetics. Fliss is as pretty as I am handsome. And that makes us perfect for each other.

HE ADMITS HE'S NO LOOKER

Cat Charnock-Wilson, 34, lives in Petersfield, Hampshire, with husband, Matt, 36. They are business development managers.

Geeky guy gets the girl: Matt and Cat

CAT: I grew up with a stunning older sister and so always felt in the shadow of her beauty. It wasn't until university when I noticed guys looking at me in an appreciative way that it occurred to me I might be pretty, too.

I used to think it was a fact of life that attractive people were drawn to other attractive people. After all, it's rare that you see a couple where the man is gorgeous and the woman is ugly.

Before meeting Matt, I believed relationships couldn't work if there was a physical discrepancy. But falling in love with a man who couldn't care less about his appearance changed all.

Before meeting Matt, I had a couple of serious relationships with very good-looking men and I would be lying if I said it didn't boost my self-confidence.

If a guy that gorgeous picks you, it elevates your status in the eyes of other people.

But then my last boyfriend dumped me for someone who was a dead ringer for Demi Moore - which just goes to show that no matter how attractive you are there will always be someone prettier.

Matt won't mind me saying this, but he wasn't in this category. Looking back, he wasn't the type of man I'd normally go for at all.

Usually, I like tall, tanned men with lots of hair. Matt is under 6ft, has a receding hairline and fair skin that burns.

We met through mutual friends and even though I wasn't physically attracted to Matt, he had a certain arrogance about him that I found sexy.

But then he turned up on our first lunch date wearing jeans and boat shoes and my heart sank. It just made me look an idiot because it was in the middle of the working day and I was looking smart - which I usually do - and thought he was way too casual.

I'm ashamed to say it, but in the initial stages of our relationship, his physical appearance niggled me. Friends told me not to be so stupid. I suppose they could see that underneath my overly critical eye, I was secretly bowled over.

Then, as things developed and I was won over by the wonderful man that Matt is, this shallow opinion of his physical attributes and whatever it was I thought was lacking, quite rightly took second place to everything else.

Now, four years on, I couldn't care less what other people think. I realised this recently when we were on our way to a wedding. I have grown used to Matt stepping outside the front door having made zero effort, but somehow, at formal events, it just makes us look like the oddest couple in the world.

There I was, dressed up to the nines in a dress and heels and there was Matt having thrown on an outfit I'd never have sanctioned if I'd taken time out from getting myself beautifully presentable.

I knew when we got to the wedding that strangers would be looking at us and thinking: 'What on earth is she doing with him?'

But it hit me in that moment how little I cared. Seeing Matt smiling, chatting and putting people at their ease made me realise how proud I was of him in other ways.

I don't believe he's lucky to have me just because I've got a pretty face. Actually, if anything, it's the other way around.

Looking beyond appearance: When it comes down to it, Matt and Cat are so in love they don't care what the other looks like

MATT: Everyone thinks it, so I'm just going to come straight out and say it - I can't believe Cat is with me, either.

You know those Hollywood films where the geeky guy gets the gorgeous girl and you think: 'That would never happen . . .'

Well, it happened to me and I can't believe my luck.

When Cat and I started dating, my friends were astonished. I think they thought it was some sort of joke and I'd paid her to go out with me.

Yes, she's absolutely gorgeous. But when you've been in a relationship a while the physical stuff becomes blurred by what you know about the person.

Certainly I don't wake up each morning dazzled by Cat's beauty and I hope she sees more when she looks at me than my ugly mug.