Sheer Naughtiness Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cynthia Payne

Cynthia Payne first amused the nation in 1978, when police raided her home and found a party in full swing where queues of middle aged men were waiting to pay for food, drink, striptease and a trip upstairs with a girl of their choice. Another source of amusement was the revelation that some of these services were paid for in Luncheon Vouchers. Ms. Payne was sent to prison for 18 months, reduced to 6 months on appeal, for running a disorderly house. Convinced that what she provided was not a brothel, she continued to host parties on her release, and in 1986 was raided and arrested again.

At her trial in 1987 the public were kept amused for three weeks with tales of wife swapping, transvestites, and all kinds of other activities as well as stories about allegedly shocked undercover policemen.

Despite all this she was acquitted on ten charges of controlling prostitutes.

Answer: Boris Becker

In 2000 Boris Becker was forced to admit paternity of a three year old girl, after DNA tests proved he was the father. It also emerged that this was the result of a brief encounter with model Angela Ermankova in the broom cupboard of a London sushi restaurant.

In 2009 Mr Becker set the record straight, saying that the encounter had taken place on the stairs of the restaurant, not in a cupboard.

Answer: Duchess of Argyll

In a high profile divorce case that had everyone gossiping, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll was accused of infidelity by her husband. He produced photographs of her with a naked man. She was dressed in nothing but a string of pearls. Another photo showed her in a compromising position with a nude male. In the photos the men were photographed only from the neck downwards, leading to endless speculation as to their identity. "Who is the headless man?" was the question of the day, and not only in the tabloids.

The Duke further alleged that his wife, a noted beauty, had taken, by his count, some 88 lovers, including actors, members of parliament and royalty.

Answer: Cecil Parkinson

Cecil Parkinson was Chairman of the Conservative Party and was given credit for masterminding their 1983 election victory. He was promoted to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, but was forced to resign when it came to light that his Secretary, Sarah Keyes, had given birth to his love child.

Answer: Jeremy Thorpe

Jeremy Thorpe became leader of the Liberal Party in 1967. Throughout his career there had been rumours about his sexuality, and in particular a homosexual affair with male model Norman Scott. In 1975 Scott was confronted by a gunman who shot and killed his dog, and went to try to fire at him, but the gun did not go off. Andrew Newton was convicted of attempted murder, and during the trial further allegations were made concerning the relationship between Jeremy Thorpe and Norman Scott, which Mr Thorpe vigorously denied. On his release from prison Mr Newton alleged he was hired as a "hit man" by Jeremy Thorpe, and eventually this led to the 1979 trial, in which Mr Thorpe was acquitted.

However, the scandal ruined his career. He lost his parliamentary seat, and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and retired from public life.

Answer: Liberace

At one time Liberace was believed to be the highest paid entertainer in the world. Famed for his colourful costumes, candelabra on the piano and 'over the top' performances he sued for libel when Cassandra wrote an article that, without ever using the actual word, implied he was homosexual. Testifying in court he denied being homosexual or ever having engaged in homosexual activities.

He received £8,000 damages and, in his own words, "cried all the way to the bank". He fought and won a similar suit against "Confidential" magazine in America in 1957 after they used the headline "Why Liberace's Theme Song Should be 'Mad About the Boy'".

He never married, although he was romantically linked with various women over the years, and rumours and speculation about his sexuality persisted.

Answer: George Michael

In April 1998 George Michael was arrested and charged with "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet. He was caught up in a sting operation being run by Beverley Hills police, and was arrested by an undercover police officer. After this George Michael became much more open about his sexuality and his relationships, something that had been speculated about for some time.

Answer: Heidi Fleiss

Heidi Fleiss was managing a prostitution business for someone else by the time she was 22, and by 25 was running her own business in Los Angeles. She was so successful that she boasted she made a million dollars in her first four months. She came to the attention of the police, and following a "sting" operation she was arrested in 1993.

There was much media speculation as to her client list, which was rumoured to include Hollywood "A" list celebrities, judges, politicians and high ranking civic dignitaries.

Answer: Marriage should be a five year renewable contract

For over twenty years Wanda von Sacher-Masoch was married to Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the author of "Venus in Furs" and the man after whom Krafft-Ebing named masochism. He died in 1895, and in 1907 she published her "Confessions" in which she not only revealed the secrets of the bedchamber but also put forward the suggestion that marriage should be a five year renewable contract, not a lifetime commitment.

This was a completely scandalous suggestion in an age where divorce was virtually unheard of.

Answer: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Much married Zsa Zsa Gabor made headlines for all the wrong reasons when, in 1989, she slapped the face of Beverly Hills traffic cop Paul Kramer when he stopped her for a violation. At her well publicised trial she said she only did it because he behaved in a rude and insulting manner. This cut little ice with the judge who sentenced her to 72 hours in jail.