More Secret Loves Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Prescott

John Prescott, Labour's Deputy Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, had a two-year affair with his diary secretary Tracey Temple between 2002 and 2005. The relationship remained secret until tabloid newspapers exposed it in 2006, creating a media frenzy.

Prescott publicly apologised to his wife Pauline and the Labour Party. He remained in his position until Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007. The scandal involved salacious tabloid claims about encounters in ministerial offices and cars, though he denied the more lurid details.

Answer: John Profumo

John Profumo was the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government. He had a brief affair with Christine Keeler in 1961. The relationship became a national scandal in 1963 when it was revealed that Keeler was also involved with Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché. This raised serious security concerns during the Cold War.

He initially lied to Parliament about the affair, but was forced to admit the truth and resign in June 1963. The scandal damaged the Macmillan government and contributed to the Conservatives' defeat in the 1964 election. Profumo spent the rest of his life working for charity in London's East End, seeking redemption for his dishonesty.

Answer: John Major

John Major, who served as Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, had an affair with fellow Conservative MP Edwina Currie between 1984 and 1988, before he became PM. The relationship remained completely secret until Currie revealed it in her published diaries in 2002. It stunned the political establishment and Major's family.

The revelation was particularly embarrassing because Major had launched a 'Back to Basics' campaign in 1993 promoting traditional family values, while his own past affair remained hidden. Currie's book included intimate details that humiliated Major, including descriptions of his underwear. Major's wife Norma learned about the affair from the media rather than her husband, adding to the painful public exposure.

Answer: David Mellor

David Mellor was Heritage Secretary in John Major's Cabinet when his affair with actress Antonia de Sancha was exposed by tabloid newspapers in 1992. The scandal became notorious for outlandish claims that Mellor wore a Chelsea football kit during intimate encounters. The Chelsea kit rumor was actually invented by publicist Max Clifford to make the story more salacious for the tabloids. However, both he and de Sancha denied this ever happened. De Sancha did claim other colourful details, including toe-sucking, which Mellor never fully denied.

The affair was particularly damaging because Mellor had previously spoken publicly about press intrusion and privacy. He tried to weather the storm but was forced to resign in September 1992 after further revelations that he had accepted a free holiday from Mona Bauwens, the daughter of a PLO financier.

Answer: Ron Davies

Ron Davies, Secretary of State for Wales in Tony Blair's government, resigned in October 1998 after what he called a 'moment of madness' on Clapham Common in South London. Davies claimed he had been walking on the common, a well-known gay cruising area, when he was mugged. The true nature of the incident appeared to involve a sexual encounter gone wrong.

Davies resigned immediately, and Tony Blair was furious at the scandal. Further incidents in 2003 confirmed Davies's interest in cruising sites: after one such incident he claimed to have been there because he was "watching badgers". He eventually announced he was bisexual, but sadly the "badgers" excuse remained his most memorable political legacy.

Answer: Jeremy Thorpe

Jeremy Thorpe, leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976, had a homosexual relationship with Norman Scott in the early 1960s when such acts were still illegal in Britain. Scott later became unstable and made increasingly public allegations about their affair, threatening Thorpe's political career. In 1975, Scott's dog was shot dead on Exmoor by Andrew Newton, who was later convicted of possessing a firearm with intent. This led to Thorpe being charged in 1978 with conspiracy to murder Scott.

The sensational 1979 trial at the Old Bailey ended in Thorpe's acquittal, but his political career was severely damaged. The case combined elements of forbidden love, alleged murder plots, and the persecution of homosexuality, which made it one of British politics' most extraordinary scandals.

Answer: Cecil Parkinson

Cecil Parkinson, a senior Cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher, had an affair with his secretary Sara Keays that began in the late 1970s. The relationship continued for years while Parkinson rose through Conservative ranks. In 1983, as he was being tipped for even higher office, Keays revealed she was pregnant with his child and that he had promised to marry her before reneging.

The scandal broke during the 1983 Conservative Party conference, forcing Parkinson to resign as Trade and Industry Secretary. Keays gave birth to their daughter Flora in December 1983, and later fought publicly for child support. The affair damaged Parkinson's career permanently, though he later returned to the Cabinet in a less prominent role.

Answer: Robin Cook

Robin Cook, Foreign Secretary in Tony Blair's government, had been having an affair with his diary secretary Gaynor Regan. When the News of the World contacted Downing Street in 1997 threatening to expose the relationship. Alastair Campbell, Blair's press secretary, delivered an ultimatum to Cook at Heathrow Airport as he was about to depart on holiday with his wife Margaret: choose one woman and end it with the other immediately.

In a scene of brutal public humiliation, Cook telephoned his wife to tell her he was leaving her for Gaynor. The couple divorced in 1998, and Cook married Gaynor in 1998. The incident became infamous for its cold, forced resolution and the cruel way Margaret Cook learned her marriage was over.

Answer: Paddy Ashdown

Paddy Ashdown was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. He had an affair with his secretary Patricia Howard in the late 1980s. The relationship remained secret until the News of the World exposed it in February 1992, just months before a general election. Ashdown immediately confessed to his wife Jane, who forgave him, and he publicly admitted the affair rather than trying to deny it.

His honest approach and his wife's public support helped him survive the scandal politically, and he remained Liberal Democrat leader for seven more years. The incident became a case study in how transparency and spousal forgiveness could neutralise a political sex scandal.

Answer: Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson, who later became Prime Minister in 2019, had an affair with American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri while he was Mayor of London between 2008 and 2016. Arcuri received thousands of pounds in public money and was given privileged access to trade missions Johnson led. This raised questions about conflicts of interest. The relationship only became public in 2019 during his premiership, when Arcuri gave interviews suggesting an intimate relationship and implying Johnson had helped her business ventures.

An investigation by the Greater London Authority's monitoring officer found Johnson should have declared a conflict of interest, though no further action was taken. The scandal added to Johnson's reputation for personal chaos, extramarital affairs, and an unclear number of children from multiple relationships.