DOES every man past the age of 40 secretly aspire to become Silvio Berlusconi?

It's a thoroughly depressing thought for we women of a certain age, who cannot fail to see the double-standard which operates in public life for those of advancing years.

Take BBC presenter Miriam O'Reilly's win at employment tribunal over her departure from Countryfile after telling the tribunal she was told that her laughter lines would be a definite problem in HD, and that her hair seemed to be a letting the white of her scalp through a bit.

I believe fifty-something Ms O'Reilly has aged rather well, certainly better than John Sergeant or Andrew Marr. Yet no one expects either of these gentlemen to take to Botox to retain their positions.

And I suspect no one has dared to even mention to 74-year-old Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose notorious Milan estate parties were in the news again this week, that painting one's head black to disguise baldness and hanging out with women young enough to be one's granddaughter is not a good look for any man of advancing years.

Imagine how that plays out on a 50 inch widescreen HD TV, yet Italians seem to have no appetite whatsoever for getting rid of him.

Now these young, twenty-something women may be thoroughly charmed by Mr Berlusconi, love talking about the good old days, find boot polish on the pate an attractive and sexy look and are willing to overlook any drooping of the posterior prone to those getting on in years.

The cynical amongst us - yes, that would be me - believe that these young women might just be there to make a name for themselves in the Italian media, or get themselves a political job and some lucrative advertising contracts.

It's time we exploded the myth - younger women do not find power an aphrodisiac, they are merely practical creatures who are prepared to make less-than-ideal bargains in life to get some for themselves.

And when does the desperate clinging on to looking young end?

Will we soon have to have a queen who looks good in a bikini at 90?

The problem is that companies want to sell us expensive stuff to keep us looking young, so we've all been sold the theory that the younger one looks, the better our lives will be.

Give me Ms O'Reilly's laughter lines over the botoxed scalp of a Hollywood actress any day.

And as for Mr Berlusconi, the man should get a shed.

And finally...

SOMEONE has bought magician Paul Daniels' wig on eBay for £1,100. Could it be?...Surely not...just keep an eye out in the Italian media for an auburn-tinged toupee.