COUGARS such as Madonna are as common as male playboys such as Leonardo DiCaprio.
Men and women are both more attracted to younger partners, a blind dates study found.
Both sexes also gave a maximum age for potential suitors — with the blokes’ lower — but they did not stick to them.
The findings reflect the reality of DiCaprio, 50, whose current lover is Vittoria Ceretti, 26.
Madge, 66, meanwhile, recently dated Ahlamalik Williams, 30, and is now with Akeem Morris, 28.
Researchers studied 6,262 mostly middle-aged men and women.
Study author Professor Paul Eastwick, of the University of California, said: “After a blind date, participants were slightly more attracted to younger partners, and this trend was equally true for men and women.
“This preference for youth among women will be shocking to many people because, in mixed-gender couples, men tend to be older.
“Plus, women generally say they prefer older partners but their preferences on the dates themselves revealed something else entirely.”
He said male preferences for youth may be an echo from the past when blokes held more power and chose to marry younger women.
Equally, women’s greater power and standing today “influences what they like”.
