Lifestyle guru wins damages over Blair sex story

A style guru, whose friendship with former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife caused him embarrassment during his premiership, won libel damages on Tuesday over newspaper claims she would reveal sex secrets about the Blairs in a book.

Carole Caplin, Cherie Blair's former lifestyle adviser, was awarded substantial damages from the Daily Mail.

An article, headed "Carole's £1m question: Will she tell all about the Blairs' sex secrets?", was published in September 2010, the Press Association reported.

"It was claimed that Ms Caplin had insisted that Mrs Blair tell her every last detail of their sex life and that publication of these revelations would blow the lid on the Blairs' marriage and finish them," her lawyer David Price said.

Price told London's High Court Caplin had never had any intention of disclosing any confidential information about the couple, nor was in financial difficulty as the article suggested.

"In any event, Ms Caplin does not possess any sex secrets or other information that could 'finish' them," he said. "She did not insist that Mrs Blair tell her every last detail of her sex life or discuss such matters with her."

Price said the article "may also have been understood" to mean that "massages given by Ms Caplin to Mr Blair" were "in  some way improper".

He told the judge that an apology had been published in the Daily Mail and its publisher Associated Newspapers had agreed to pay Caplin a "substantial sum in damages to be assessed if not agreed" and her legal costs.

After the hearing, Caplin, who runs a firm called Cool Health, told reporters she felt she had to take action.

"Over the past 17 years I have endured, without comment, a succession of articles full of hurtful innuendo, wild imaginings and totally groundless allegations," she said.

"That I would break the trust that clients have the right to  expect from me, for financial reward, is offensive, damaging and  wrong," she said. "I sincerely hope this will be the last defamation action I shall ever be compelled to bring."

Caplin became a well-known figure because of her friendship with Cherie Blair which led to one of the biggest controversies of her husband's 10 years in Downing Street.

In 2002, it was revealed Caplin's former boyfriend Peter Foster, a convicted Australian conman, had helped Mrs Blair buy properties. While she had done nothing illegal, the "Cheriegate" affair caused great embarrassment.

In a further revelation on Tuesday, media reported that Caplin's phone had been hacked by the private detective working for the News of the World from 2002, making her one of the earliest victims of the scandal.