act your age: celebrities going to seed 23.00–00.00

In showbusiness circles, many believe you cannot be too young, too thin or too famous. These days, however, it’s possible for celebrities to garner just as many column inches for looking old, fat or badly dressed. This entertaining documentary reveals the lengths some stars will go to in order to maintain the illusion of youth –with varying degrees of success.

Aging in the public eye has always been a tricky affair. Hollywood is particularly unforgiving, and while it seems that men can remain screen studs well into their twilight years as long as they still have a full head of hair, the same cannot be said for actresses. Sharon Stone, Kathleen Turner and even Meryl Streep have all complained that they are offered fewer or poorer roles now that they are in their forties.

The small screen has always offered alternative opportunities for actresses who are no longer the fresh-faced ingénues they once were, and one show in particular has had an impact on the public perception of such women. “The advertising industry has come up with the ‘Desperate Housewives’ effect,” says brand strategist Jasmine Montgomery. “This seems to be the idea that, astonishingly, women in their 40s can be beautiful, glamorous, sexually active women.” As a result, popular older actresses are highly sought-after for hair and beauty advertising campaigns.

But the fact remains that maintaining a glossy image gets harder and more time-consuming with age –and the ubiquitous wide-angle lens is always poised to capture shots of Goldie Hawn’s saggy knees, Jerry Hall’s lumpy legs, Donatella Versace’s leathery chest and Victoria Beckham’s bunions. “The biggest giveaway is your neck,” says stylist Mark Heyes. “And you know what? There’s nothing you can do about it.” Pictures of 59-year-old Farrah Fawcett –once the most glamorous of Charlie’s Angels –seem to bear this out.

Body parts aside, celebrites cling on to their youthfulness via a range of tactics. One such trick is to date the audience they are trying to attract. Charlie Chaplin was 54 when he married 18-yearold aspiring actress Oona O’Neill, and stars including Tom Cruise, Rod Stewart and Michael Douglas have all followed suit. Traditionally it has been older men paired with younger women, but some women –including Madonna and Demi Moore –have turned the tables. “Certainly older women have a lot more libido than younger women,” says Tara Newley, whose mother Joan Collins has a husband 38 years younger than her. This is no surprise to model and celebrity Jodie Marsh, who has dated singer Kenzie, eight years her junior. “Once a guy has been with an older woman, he doesn’t want to go with a young girl again –trust me.”

Of course, appearance is everything in showbiz, which means that there is no shortage of takers for the surgeon’s knife. As Toyah Willcox says: “Time may be a great healer but it’s a lousy beautician.” 43-year-old Demi Moore has reportedly spent over £200,000 to achieve her current much-admired form, while 60-year-old Victoria Principal claims she has had no work done, despite having been married to a plastic surgeon for years. “There’s always going to be someone younger and hotter and better-looking than you,” says Jodie Marsh philosophically. But with so many celebrities valiantly attempting to turn back the clock, who will make tonight’s special ‘Top Five Time-defying Faces’ rundown?