Cui Bin, 42, of Zhengzhou, has been jailed for three months for bigamy after the story came out, reports Dahe Daily.

He had first married Zhang Dandan and the couple had a daughter together - but he was desperate to have a son.

"I always wanted to have a boy, but due to China's one baby per family policy I had to find another woman secretly," he admitted.

He met Wang Na, married her and they had a son together - and he divided his time between the two households making up excuses for his absences.

Meanwhile, Zhang and Wang had become friends through a shared love of karaoke, never dreaming their were married to the same man.

Wang knew her friend had a daughter and that her husband was a builder who worked away from home. Zhang knew Wang Na was newly married but had not visited her home.

The truth came out when Wang grew suspicious after hearing her husband on the phone to another woman. She rang back the number and could not believe her ears.

"I called back the number and the woman who answered said she was Cui's wife. We recognised each others voices immediately on the phone and were quite outraged at Cui," said Wang.

Source: Ananova