A man who lives with not one female lover says it's the healthiest relationship he's ever had.

Joseph Freeney, of Marske-by-the-Sea, North Yorks, is in a polyamorous relationship and shares his bed with two live-in girlfriends.

His partners Katie Aitchison and Clare Verduyn are also in a relationship with each other, which he called 'the perfect fit',.

But 20-year-old Joe says that having two girlfriends can have unexpected drawbacks from three-way battles for the duvet, dealing with snoring and coping with double the expense at Christmas and on Valentine's Day.

Joseph Freeney is in a polyamorous relationship with Katie Aitchison (left) and Clare Verduyn (right)

Student Joe first started dating Katie, 22, in January, and they fell for Clare, 21, after she joined their medieval reenactment group.

After they realised they both fancied her they asked her if she wanted to join their three-way love affair, and the rest is history.

The unconventional trio have now lived together for eight months as part of one of Britain's small number of polyamorous relationships.

Joe said: 'I love both of these women and they are in love with each other, so we're the perfect fit.

Joe and Katie were already in a relationship when they met Clare at a medieval reenactment group

'I know a lot of people will see what we have as strange, but it works.

'It is actually the healthiest relationship I have been in as we all trust each other.

'There is something about the three-way dynamic that makes it even more passionate.'

I won't lie, polyamory is a lot more work than monogamy

And he joked: 'People think I'd be waited on hand and foot - but actually the girls are so messy it does my head in - it's always me doing the dishes.'

Clare says that far from feeling jealous about sharing her new boyfriend with another woman, the relationship has brought a level of happiness she has not experienced before - and she describes the sex as the best she's ever had.

'I won't lie, polyamory is a lot more work than monogamy,' she admits.

'There are more people's feelings to consider, more peoples schedules to work around and way more time spent planning when you want to go anywhere.

'I have had one night stands before, and I have had sex in a relationship before and feelings make a big difference.

'And knowing your partners makes a big difference. That is obviously a big factor.

'They are just beautiful people, which makes it the best sex I've had. It just works.

Joe and Katie were both attracted to Claire and asked them to join their three way relationship

'I am away for a few days right now and I'm sure Katie and Joe will be having sex but it doesn't bother me. They are free to do what they want.

'We do share a bed most nights but sometimes if someone has to get up early or something one of us will switch to another room so we can get a good night's sleep.'

The 'throuple' - all physics students at the University of Leeds - not only share their bed, but they also go on romantic dates as a trio, take it in turns to cook and help each other with their uni work.

They split the cost of takeaways three ways and share the housework, although Joe says he often gets stuck doing the lion's share as the girls are both so busy, with the washing up a particular bone of contention.

The trio initially bonded after they all joined the same medieval reenactment group, dressing up as Normans and staging historically accurate battles from the 12th century.

This is their first polyamorous love affair and they all say it is the healthiest, happiest relationship they have been in.

The trio say they share a bed 'most nights' and are saving up to buy a king size bed to accommodate them

Katie, 22, and Joe started seeing each other first, and they got to know Clare, 21, a few months later.

Joe, who is bisexual, and Katie, who identifies as pansexual, meaning she is attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, used to joke about how they both fancied Clare, especially in her tight-fitting chainmail during the re-enactment sessions.

They confessed their feelings for her one night and the threesome immediately hit it off, with bisexual Clare moving in not long after.

Clare, of St Albans, Herts, said: 'We all went out and I remember Joe - who is really quite confident as a person - said to me, 'We both like you - go and kiss Katie'.

'And I was like. Okay, cool, I'll go do that then!

'I was attracted to them as well but I felt I couldn't initiate it because they were together and I didn't want to intrude. But Joe and Katie obviously felt the same way so it all worked out.'

They say they felt at ease in each other's company from the start, and the three-person dynamic is completely natural.

Katie and Clare go shopping together and even help each other get ready on nights out.

Joe says the two women are messy and he is often the one left doing the cleaning and washing up

The trio aren't ashamed of their unusual love and will hold hands in public - if the pavements are wide enough.

But there is a downside as Katie leaves half empty drinks cans around the house, Clare snores and hogs the duvet and Christmas, birthdays and Valentine's Day can be an even more expensive time of year.

However they want to show that polyamory is a perfectly acceptable life choice, and are calling for their relationship to be recognised by law, believing they should even be able to enjoy a three-way marriage.

There are many legal and financial benefits to getting married, and Katie, Clare and Joe want to be awarded the same rights as those in traditional two-person couples.

Joe says: 'I'm not that interested in marriage from a sentimental point of view, but there are practical reasons to get married too, such as the financial benefits or if one of us was in an accident and we needed the right to make decisions.

'There is absolutely nothing we can do as a three.'

Having children is also an issue - something the trio have discussed.

The trio have discussed having children, but think it's 'unfair' that they wouldn't all be considered a child's legal parents

Katie said: 'If we wished to adopt a child there would be no way to do so without having one of us miss out on being legally considered a parent or guardian.

'It does seem unfair as we are all equal partners.'

The trio would never consider letting two members of their threesome get married without the third because they say their 'equal' relationship is not more real for any two members.

They say they 'don't care' what people think of their unusual situation

And Clare says she gets bored of people seeing Joe as the stud - and says it's the girls that are actually the luckiest.

She said: 'Last year, during exam season we all went to study together in the library and we would just walk down the street all holding hands together, it was quite funny.

'Honestly, I don't really care what anybody else thinks, it is none of their business. I have got the best of both worlds.

'Everyone is saying that Joe must be some kind of legend but I'm there like ''Excuse you!'' I have got a hot girlfriend and an awesome boyfriend. What more could you want?'

The arrangement already has financial benefits too as the trio split their bills three ways instead of two, saving them cash.

They say a lot of people question whether their love is real, but they insist their romance is just as genuine as any relationship between two people.

The throuple have even considered adding a fourth person to their relationship

Joe says: 'It saddens me to say, but I have just got used to the idea that a lot of people don't see ours as a valid relationship.

'People believe it is less emotionally involved because they don't think we can possibly feel the same way about two people.

'We don't have any fairy tales or stories with poly relationships - it is always just the prince and the princess, which doesn't help.

'Society just isn't set up for people like us.'

And Katie, from Hull, East Yorks, insisted: 'It is important to me to be able to love who I love.

'I'm going to love these people anyway and that's not something I can change.

'Polyamory allows me to do just this.'

People often wrongly assume that polyamory is one man and lots of women, but Joe says that isn't always the case.

Joe says he gets quizzed by friends and family about how it works, who ask him if he has a secret favourite

'I have friends in other poly relationships where there are three guys, three girls, two guys and a girl - there is just as much variation as there is in a traditional relationship,' he insists.

Society just isn't set up for people like us

They admit that their lifestyle is not for everyone but say it makes them very happy - and that they want to see poly relationships acknowledged in the media and pop culture, just like gay relationships are now.

There can be some jealousy in the group, but say - like with any relationship - it is all about open and honest communication.

They also all swear they don't have a favourite.

Joe admits that finding Christmas presents for two girlfriends can be challenging. He also gets quizzed by his friends - and his mum - about the romance.

He said: 'My mum asked if I secretly have a favourite, and my response was 'Do you have a favourite child?'

'It is possible to love two people differently, but just as much.

'My friends think I am the luckiest guy in the world and they assume I must be waited on hand and foot as I have two girlfriends.

Joe says it 'saddens' him that people don't think their relationship as 'valid' and not 'emotionally involved'.

'But just like in any relationship we have our issues.

'Clare sleeps in the middle and she snores, which used to bother me and Katie but we've both got used to it now.

'She is also a blanket hogger and it can be tough trying to get a good night's sleep while sharing a double bed with two women.

'In the morning we have to take it in turns to shower as ours is tiny so there's not enough room for all three of us.

'Clare normally cooks the dinner in the evening.

'But the girls are really messy and they have busy lives, so it's me that ends up doing the dishes. I also do most of the cleaning and the laundry.

'We haven't had a big argument yet but there are times when I feel like a house husband to two women.'

The triad say three is definitely not the limit and that they have considered adding a fourth person to their relationship.

They have also discussed dating outside the three-way.

What is polyamory? A polyamorous person is someone who is attracted to more than one partner simultaneously. Those in polyamorous relationships will have the consent of all of their partners to be non-monogamous. Some polyamorous people will have a primary relationship with a person they'll spend most of their time with, while having secondary partners they see away from their main relationship. Some couples will be in three or more way relationships with all parties dating at once, while others will keep their multiple relationships completely separate. Many couples will have rules about who they can see. The most important rule for poly couples is that they communicate, to avoid over-complicating the relationships. Advertisement

They believe the main limitation in a polyamorous relationship is time, as they do not want anyone to feel excluded or left out.

Clare says: 'If you want to think about adding more people that is okay, but we need to talk about it beforehand.

'You can't just go around sleeping with anyone you want to. I wouldn't just go out and have a one night stand - that would be cheating.

'But if there was someone that I had been talking to and mentioned them to the guys and been like this is something I am considering and they were okay with it - this is something we have said is okay.'

The group credit their re-enactment hobby with making their relationship work, as it is a way for all three of them to spend time together.

Joe is the president of the University of Leeds' group of Historia Normannis, a nationwide re-enactment society which brings 12th century history to life.

The group take part in combat displays with accurately made weapons and armour.

They also enjoy Norman-era hobbies, crafts and sports, such as archery.

'It's important to be able to spend time together, and having a hobby we all do, especially one like re-enactment which takes up so much time, allows us to do that,' Clare says.

The trio say their friends have been very supportive of their relationship, and believe the student community is more open minded and accepting of different relationship styles and practices.

People usually have tons of questions and the group say they are more than happy to talk about their unusual dynamic and get the message out there.

They also say their parents are trying hard to understand their lifestyle.

Joe says his mum has met both the girls and loves them, while Katie says her dad is now genuinely interested and understanding of the issues that polyamorous triads face.

Joe says: 'This is the healthiest relationship I have ever been in, and it is the one where I have felt the best about myself - the girls have said the same thing.

'There is a real level of trust in this relationship that I have never had before and I think it comes from the three-person dynamic.

'I want other people to know it can work for them too.'

Now their main hope is to finally be able to afford a king-size bed on their tight student budget.

Clare added: 'The dream is to have a king size bed! Student budgets only run to a double at the moment and it's quite a tight squeeze.'

A spokesperson from Brook, a relationship and sex advice service for young adults, said: 'Just like monogamous relationships, non-monogamous relationships can be happy and satisfying, and last just as long.

'And just like monogamous relationships they can also be difficult and challenging. The important thing in any relationship is that once you agree your relationship rules, you stick to them.

'Breaking the rules, lying, cheating or not looking after each other's feelings will all put extra strain on your relationship whether you are in a monogamous or non-monogamous relationship.'