Politicians' excuses: After Rob Ford, ten other unlikely stories

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford finally admitted he “probably” smoked crack cocaine at a press conference on Tuesday, excusing his behaviour by saying “I was in a drunken stupor at the time.”

Yes, it's a pretty weak excuse, but it’s not the worst we’ve ever heard. When politicians are stuck in a tight spot, their explanations range from the unlikely to the ludicrous.

Stretching the truth till it’s as a elastic as fresh pasta, Berlusconi has to be at the top of any list of ridiculous excuses. The self-confessed “Jesus Christ” of politics tried to explain away accusations that he used underage prostitutes at his Bunga Bunga parties by arguing: “ It's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay”.

However Berlusconi is not alone in his desperate attempts to explain away embarrassing situations.. check out our round up of the top ten tenuous political excuses.

View our gallery of politicians' most ridiculous excuses here