Million dollar Geri

At that price she could have danced all night, and still have danced some more. Geri Halliwell spent a night in Vienna and was reportedly paid £500,000 for the pleasure - a fraction short of a million dollars.

As the guest of Viennese businessman Richard Lugner, she is understood to have clocked up £100,000 an hour for her appearance at the annual Opera Ball.

The former Spice Girl is the latest female star to be paid a handsome sum by Mr Lugner to accompany him to the £150-ahead society ball at the Viennese State Opera House. His previous dates have included Grace Jones, Pamela Anderson, Sophia Loren, Ivana Trump and the Duchess of York.

This year seems to have cost Mr Lugner more than usual.

According to local reports, Fergie was paid some £57,000 in 1997 to do a book-signing session at his Lugner-City shopping centre and accompany him to the ball.

There was embarrassment when the Duchess was introduced to far-Right politician Jˆrg Haider, forcing Mr Lugner to whisk her away to safety. In 2000, actress Catherine Deneuve, who had accepted an invitation from Mr Lugner, boycotted the ball in protest at Haider and his Freedom Party.

In 1996, Grace Jones caused a minor scandal by taking her clothes off in front of everyone in the presidential box.

Two years ago Pamela Anderson, another of Mr Lugner's dates, used the event to campaign against the fur trade.

Some of the ball's more staid guests think all this lowers the tone of the event and have been trying for years to have Mr Lugner banned.

Mind you, they should have been thankful Halliwell did not make an entrance by walking through a giant pair of female legs while men in red briefs cavorted around her - as she did at the Brit Awards in 2000.

An insider at the event said: "Geri has really hit pay-dirt here - this must be the easiest job in her life. It works out at around £1,666 a minute. All she has to do is turn up, chat and dance."

To be fair, Halliwell also had to laugh at Mr Lugner's jokes and sign autographs at one of his many shopping centres.