Last updated at 11:09, Saturday, 28 November 2009

There is a guilty pleasure in watching women publicly humiliated by judgemental strangers adding years to their ages, then seeing them pulled about, pummelled and painted up to look like mutton dressed as lamb.

It’s nothing to be proud of – and I promise I won’t do it again. One indulgence in 10 Years Younger: the Bus Pass Challenge (Channel 4) was enough.

Innocent women in their later years didn’t ought to be put through such indignities – and I should know better than to watch when they are.

Betty and Marie were ladies of 64 and 70-something. Neither would have won a Miss Gorgeous Gussie contest but they were both content enough with their track-suit bottoms, comfy shoes and pastel eyeshadows – until bossy Myleene Klass and her team got hold of them.

Myleene is the kind of girl who prompts another guilty pleasure – that of wishing she’d develop deep facial wrinkles and heavy rolls of body-blubber overnight.

She’s infuriatingly smug. Her whole demeanour trumpets belief that she is the epitome of divine beauty to which every woman has a duty to aspire.

So, when Myleene descended on Marie and Betty to demand one had plastic surgery, both had extensive surgical dentistry and changed every aspect of their appearance with heavy make-up, new hairdos, glasses and teenage fashions, it was a wonder they didn’t deck her.

But they went along with the whole humiliating – and painful – process, patronised by Myleene at every stage, until they emerged with images they’d never be able recreate at home in a month of Sundays.

Dragged again into a shopping centre for further judgement by total strangers, they were assessed as having dropped 10-20 years.

So, it really is that easy for everyone. Have your face rebuilt by a surgeon, your teeth reconstructed by a dentist, buy a new wardrobe and designer spectacles, pay for a top stylist and make-up artist to the stars and you too could revert to paying bus fares.

Don’t all rush at once now, ladies. Form an orderly queue.

First published at 08:56, Saturday, 28 November 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk