A lot of charity time and effort, as well as money, is misguided. People – forget about your telethons for Haiti and the victims of famine and drought in Africa. There’s a much more pressing need for your dimes, dollars and cents – and celebrities’ time. It’s the plight of the failed former child star.

Once feted by their peers in Tinseltown, these bright young things are chewed up and spit out, never to return again to the limelight. They’re malnourished, but with fame, not food. They need your help more than pot-bellied African orphans or war dead ever do. Think of them when you’re considering donating to a charity, because God knows they need it.