Simon Cowell and Mezhagan Hussainy

“Closer inspection suggests Mezhgan is putting in all the effort. Will Simon give up his grumpy bachelor ways and go soft on us? His response to her public displays of affection suggests he wont.”

Other cringe-worthy celebs, of the touchy-feely variety inclue good old Tom Cruise, who you can always rely on to push out the crazy boat. Cruise declared that his wife, Katie Holmes truely is his ‘Top Gun’ by prancing about like a loon on Oprah Winfrey’s sofa. Not only was he not taught that PDAs can be gross but apparently he was never told it’s rude to put your shoes on the furniture; committing two social faux-pas in one over-dramatic act.

Katie Price also turned stomachs earlier this year when she was seen smooching her latest victim, Alex Reid in a public park. Whether it was a genuine act of love, or an attempt to prove a point with a carefully positioned pap shot; we will never know. One celeb that is making a show to make a stand is John  Terry, who has been publicly playing the part of the besotted husband ever since his affair hit the headlines in January.

Celebrity Displays of Affection

Some people find PDAs uncomfortable to participate in or even watch. But how much affection is too much when it is no longer behind closed doors? Everyone differs in their opinion but maybe if seeing them doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy, you should turn a blind eye.

It really comes down to context.  French kissing is acceptable in a nightclub but definately a no-no at your grandparent’s anniversary dinner.

 Great or Gross? Opinions on campus.

Life on the streets

A HOMELESS man has spoken about the difficulties of being a teenager on the streets.

Barry Selby, 31, has been ’sofa surfing’ and living in hostels on and off since he was just 17-years-old.

In an exclusive interview, today he reveals the harrowing truth of what it is like to be a young person without a fixed address, as Tside reveals that EVEN STUDENTS are living in hostels while finishing their degrees.

Barry said: “I’ve even seen people die of heroin and crack cocaine, and that’s through the experience of living in a hostel.

“Living on the streets isn’t easy for anyone, but when you start as a teenager it is a difficult spiral to break.”

Youngsters aged between 16 and 25 are one of the largest age groups of homeless people living in the North East, with difficulties with parents listed as the main cause.

Forced to leave home, young people have to find emergency accommodation such as hostels and shelters.

Tony Thornton, MBE, Centre Manager at Tom Raine Court, Darlington explained: “We are all very close to homelessness simply because of the recession, simply because mum and dad may have kicked you out.

“We have had a couple of students living here because they’ve fallen out with whatever situation at home, and they’ve ended up here, whilst still going to university.”

Tony Thornton

The upheaval of homelessness is often too much for young people to cope with, resulting in many dropping out of education. They feel depressed and frustrated that their lives have been put on hold.

For Barry the cost of being homeless has been particularly great.  

He has battled with mental health problems and addiction. 

Barry revealed:  “The pressure of being at university, even college, life itself, debt worries, not working, relationships. You get into that routine of homelessness.

“You get into drink, drugs, crime.. your self-esteem goes down really quickly.”

Barry has spent much of his adult life in what he describes as “a vicious circle” of failed attempts to get out of a homeless lifestyle.

“It’s very hard.  Everyone has their own way of coping, some even get institutionalised and never come out of the hostels.”

But not everyone finds it impossible to escape. Having spent sixteen years working with homeless people. Tony knows many who have broken free from the shackles of homelessness and made a success of their lives.

“We’ve had a solicitor who was addicted to alcohol, and therefore came here because he was homeless and had lost his job,” he said.

“We managed to then support him whilst he was in the addiction services, and he is now alcohol free and back into full-time employment.”

Barry - who has now been clean for over a year and has been living in his own rented house since November – is now looking to the future with renewed hope. He has one piece of advice for anyone who becomes homeless -get in to a hostel.

He added: “When you get in there keep yourself to yourself and don’t get into drugs, alcohol and crime.”

The average lifespan of a ‘rough sleeper’ is 42, and for every ‘rough sleeper’, there are 100 people living in hostels.

Statistics for 2008, saw the North East fourth highest  nationally in the number of the newly homeless, behind London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.

There are many different charities associated with helping the homeless, from shelters such as the YMCA, and the Salvation Army, to Crisis- the national charity for single  homeless people.