Live Media UK's Clown of the Day

1. Max Clifford

Mr. Clifford, to you goes the dubious honour of Live Media UK's first ever Clown of the Day Award.

Mr Clifford has long been an annoyance, a depressing sign of what society has become. But his latest exploitation of Jade Goody’s illness has been the most disgusting act of his long and undistinguished career.

At first, I believed Jade herself was driving the bizarre publicity surrounding her terminal cancer.

It wasn’t that I felt unsympathetic towards Jade. Cancer is a vile, cowardly disease, which devastates families, and, in this case, deprives two young boys of their mother and a husband of the woman he loves.

But given the media circus that has shrouded her life over the past few years, it wasn’t absurd to think that she was milking it ever so slightly.

However, over the last week or so, as Jade’s condition deteriorates, it has become clear that the disgusting human being that is Max Clifford is behind all that is unnerving about this situation.

Since shortly after her wedding, Jade has been so heavily sedated that she is constantly slipping in and out of consciousness. Yet somehow, everything she says, everything she does, no matter how private it should be, is conducted in the public eye.

Photographers from a glossy magazine were present at the christening she had for herself and her children. Ostensibly, these photographers were there to record the event so that her children had a reminder of a happy day with their mummy.

Mr Clifford obviously thought the traditional photographs taken by family members wouldn’t suffice.

Then there are the daily newspaper headlines concerning private conversations between Jade and her children.

I find it highly unlikely that little Bobby went to the newspapers and told about how his mummy was going to be a star watching over him and his brother.

Some may argue that Max Clifford is merely doing his job. He is a publicist after all; he is paid to get Jade on the front pages every day.

Does this genuinely class as a job? When did making money out of people’s misery become an honourable profession?

Jade's life as a whole blurred the lines between private and public existence. Her career may have been the creation of Max Clifford, but he should now leave well alone and let her pass away with dignity

NOTE: This article was written before Jade Goody passed away on Mothers Day 2009. Our condolences are with her family.