Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Quiz

Answer: Bill Clinton

Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States (January 1993 to January 2001) had enjoyed a charmed political career that took him all the way from Hope, Arkansas, via the Governorship of that State to the White House. His career, though, was dogged by allegations of financial impropriety and sexual misbehaviour.

He admitted having had extramarital relationships with Monica Lewinsky (while President) and Gennifer Flowers (while Governor of Arkansas). The apology was made three weeks after his affair with Lewinsky became public (in 1998).

Some of these questions were suggested by an article written by Matthew Parris in 'The Times', October 2008.

Answer: Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip had, shall we say, a quirky sense of humour. Comments such as "the man who invented the red carpet needed his head examined" appeared quite harmless, however, more problematic were examples such as: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed" to British students who were working in China and "If it has four legs and is not a chair, has wings and is not an aeroplane, or swims and is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it." He also once asked a Scottish driving instructor: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?" This particular apology came after he spotted a dodgy fusebox on a visit to a factory, and said it looked as if it had "been put together by an Indian".

Answer: Boris Johnson

Johnson, a one-time Member of Parliament and elected Mayor of London, was also for a period editor of the magazine 'The Spectator'. Liverpool had experienced many sad moments over the years, and, writing in the magazine, Johnson said Liverpudlians were "hooked on grief".

He accepted the blame for the contents of his publication. On other occasions Johnson has had to apologise for calling black people "piccaninnies" and also for saying he had not had an extra-marital affair, when in fact he had.

Answer: Silvio Berlusconi (Italy)

Berlusconi, a millionaire businessman with fingers in many pies, was a three-times prime minster of Italy. He was twice married, and had an affair (and three children) with his second wife while still married to his first.

Answer: George Michael

The former 'Wham' singer made the apology in September 2008 after he had been arrested in a public toilet in London in possession of crack cocaine and cannabis. Ten years before he had been arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet in Los Angeles.

After the arrest he admitted he was gay. During those 10 years, he had several other brushes with the law over possession of drugs.

Answer: "Please Forgive Me" -- Ryan Adams

'Please Forgive Me' was actually recorded by Bryan Adams. I wonder if he was saying sorry for "I Do It For You (Everything I Do) "- that (in the view of many) turgid and wearisome chart topper. Not everyone agreed, though, it sold millions of copies.

It topped the US charts for seven weeks and the UK charts for 16. The song featured on his album "Waking Up The Neighbors" and in the 1991 movie 'Robin Hood Prince of Thieves". Ryan Adams was a Canada-born rocker.

Answer: Rush Limbaugh

In 2006, actor Michael J. Fox, who had contracted Parkinson's, took part in a series of advertisements in support of politicians calling for stem-cell research. Rush Limbaugh, a US nationally-syndicated radio host, mocked Fox; and claimed he had exaggerated his symptoms.

Answer: Judy Finnigan

Judy Finnigan and her husband Richard Madeley were popular presenters of TV shows in the UK. Their lifestyle shows attracted large audiences, but gaffes were not unheard of. In 1997 Madeley asked 'Pet Shop Boys' singer Neil Tennant about his wife - Tennant was gay. Three years later, Madeley dressed up (and blacked up) as the TV comedian Ali G in what many people regarded as the most toe-curlingly embarrassing piece of television for some time.

In 2007 a company that ran phone lines for a competition was fined £150,000 when it was revealed it kept the lines open after the winners were chosen.

It also refunded £2.5m. The couple apologised, though there was no suggestion they were aware of what was going on.

Answer: Richard Nixon

Richard M. Nixon was the 37th President of the USA (he took office in January 1969) and was the first to have to resign from office (in August 1974). That resignation came after the so-called Watergate Affair, in which Republican party sympathisers burgled the offices of the Democratic Party in the Watergate Hotel. (This probably sparked off the fashion for adding the suffix 'gate' to just about any kind of scandal).

At first Nixon tried to bluff his way out of it, even saying in a TV debate" "People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got." When it was revealed that Nixon had authorised the payment of money for the silence of one of the Watergate burglars, he resigned.

Answer: David Beckham

'Becks' showed his remorse after he was sent off during England's game against Argentina in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Still, his skills and goals made him a hero worldwide and probably the highest-earning British sports star of his generation.

Answer: Mel Gibson

In July 2006, Gibson was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he was spotted speeding in California. He embarked on a tirade of anti-Semitic comments towards a Jewish police officer. A blood test showed an alcohol level of .12 per cent. The state limit was .08

Answer: Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart was an American TV domestic goddess. Her show was syndicated nation-wide. Stewart made the remarks after being found guilty in 2004 of illegal share trading. Still, the resultant jail sentence gave her plenty of time to work on new recipes.

In 2001 "Ladies Homes Journal" named her the third most powerful woman in America. Three years later she was given a five-month jail term for lying about her financial dealings.

Answer: 50,000 pound stg

George Osborne was a guest at the holiday villa and on the yacht of one of Russia's richest men, Oleg Deripaska. It was alleged that he sought a donation of £50,000. It is illegal under the UK's electoral laws for a non-native to donate to a political party.

He escaped any punishment when the body that investigates such matters, the Electoral Commission, said that SOLICITING a donation was not an offence.

Answer: Tony Blair

When the second Gulf war started, in 2003, it was claimed that Iraq had an immediate capacity to deploy 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'. This was based, it was claimed, on documentary evidence; 'evidence' that was subsequently discredited. Tony Blair, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was one of the chief proponents of the war.

Answer: Ronnie Corbett

Corbett played Timothy Lumsden a 40-something unmarried librarian who lived at home with his harridan of a mother (played by Barbara Lott) and his henpecked father (played by William Moore). Despite his constant efforts to move out, his mother always sabotaged Timothy's plans. It ran for seven seasons between 1981 and 1988.