Cynthia Payne dies aged 82: life of an English madam

Cynthia Payne, frequently referred to as Britain's most famous madam, has died at the age of 82.

Born in Bognor Regis on Christmas Eve 1932, Payne was expelled from boarding school as a 'bad influence' and ended up working as a waitress in Brighton. A prostitute offered her £3 to use her room in the evenings, giving Payne the idea that eventually saw her presiding over one of Britain's largest brothels.

She came to national attention in 1978 when a raid on her South London home revealed more than 50 men, including clergymen, lawyers and politicians, queueing to see one of the 13 prostitutes on the premises.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The raid turned 32 Ambleside Avenue, Streatham, into a nationally infamous address. Newspapers raked over the lurid details of the services provided by Payne to her high-profile clients.

Several unusual details of her operation caught the public's imagination, such as the fact that patrons paid for Madame Cyn's services with luncheon vouchers given to them by their employees for subsidised meals.

In 1980, Payne was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in HMP Holloway, but only served four before she was released.

She then embraced her infamy to forge a career in the public eye. Her eccentric humour, outspoken manner and open personality charmed the public, and she was soon in demand as an after-dinner speaker.

By the time Payne found herself back in the dock in 1987, on charges of controlling prostitutes, she had attained the status of unlikely national treasure. When she was acquitted, the courtroom burst into applause, and well-wishers mobbed her as she left court.

Despite being known as Britain's most famous madam, Payne always saw herself in the light of a hostess and party planner rather than a gang-master.

She took a motherly interest in the prostitutes working under her roof, says the Daily Telegraph, ensuring they all finished their afternoon's work with a cup of tea and a poached egg on toast.

In 1988, she stood as a candidate in the Kensington by-election on behalf of the 'Payne and Pleasure Party' to raise awareness of the need to reform Britain's sex industry laws, although she was not elected.

Her colourful exploits were the subject of a bestselling biography, An English Madam, and two movies: Wish You Were Here covered her adolescence and Personal Services starred Julie Walters as the adult Payne.

Following her death, family friend Kevin Horkin told reporters that Payne "epitomised the phrase 'what you saw is what you got'". He said Payne had a "big heart" and would be "sorely missed".