Episode 1 Famous, Rich and Homeless

-Excuse me, will you buy me a burger?

-In the last five years,

the numbers of homeless people in Britain have soared.

People think it's easy out here. But it's not.

And the rising cost of housing means over 8 million of us

have only enough money saved to cover one month's rent or mortgage.

I've built so much up in my life

and all of a sudden a run of luck just took it all away from me.

And with support services having their budgets cut,

life's getting tougher for those living on the street.

-GLASS SMASHES

-Where did that come from?

And now for four famous volunteers...

My family didn't want me to do this at all.

..the prospect of homelessness

is about to become a frightening reality.

DOG BARKS, DOOR BANGS

I don't think he understands just how tough this is.

Whoever comes back next time, it'll be their last as well.

In aid of Sport Relief, the four who have agreed to swap fame and

fortune for a life on the streets are -

TV presenter Julia Bradbury...

I'm frightened because I think women are particularly

vulnerable on the streets.

Ex-snooker player Willie Thorne...

When I see people on the streets, I think,

"There but for the grace of God go I."

I just want to help them if I can, cos obviously they're in a bad way.

Comedian Nick Hancock...

I'm used to my creature comforts, I'm used to family

and people I can talk to.

I'm a kind of a three-showers-a-day man.

And TV personality Kim Woodburn.

I'm going to meet people that are genuinely homeless.

I'm going to meet people that don't want to work at all

and will always be homeless and they just can get on with it

cos I've got no time for it.

Through their eyes,

you'll witness the reality facing Britain's rough sleepers.

-I hate the way people look at you.

-Any spare change at all?

If they don't give you money, you're not going to eat.

Look! A whole new mattress.

A world most people never see.

-So this is where you sleep every night?

-Yes.

-I take my torch see if any rats or mouse have been through.

-Hm.

-AGITATED SHOUTING

-I'm worried about this lady.

-Will they possess the resilience...

-She needs help now.

..and strength of character to survive?

It's Victorian, is what it is.

It's Oliver, with different clothes.

Or will they be overwhelmed...

If you want to be educated in this life, do not complain.

All right. OK, I've finished.

I'm being talked down to by everybody.

..by the reality of being homeless...

You're only homeless cos you're a skag head!

You know what...?

..in 21st century Britain?

See you in the morning.

This programme contains some strong language.

Bye-bye, Mummy! Bye-bye. Can you wave, Xanthe?

The four volunteers are leaving behind their families.

And they're comfortable lifestyles...

You take care of yourself.

..to spend a week homeless on the streets of London.

Keeping a watchful eye on the progress will be John Bird -

a former rough sleeper and the founder of the Big Issue magazine.

Good afternoon, my love, Big Issue today?

There we are - "The amazing journey of Big Issue boss John Bird.

"Last time I was in Parliament, I was washing up in the canteen

"and now I'm the first Lord to have slept rough."

This experiment has to show how God-awful it is to

be on the streets.

And how your life changes, your character changes,

your body changes.

And that you become obsessed with how you get through the day.

Sometimes, how do you get through the next few minutes.

Had a massive bowl of pasta before I left. Had a hot chocolate.

So many emotions going through my head, I'm feeling apprehensive...

I want to experience the truth of being on the streets.

-Had a protein bar.

-Keen.

You know, I am a sportsman,

the goal is to complete whatever you're doing.

Had a fry up this morning.

I have had a lot of adversity in my life,

most of it self-inflicted, and this is just another challenge.

For John, running this experience is personal.

He has asked the volunteers to meet him

in one of his old haunts under Waterloo train station.

I slept in this arch when I was 15. It was absolutely terrible.

People would try and piss on you, people would pick on you,

you were cold, you were wet, you were lonely.

You were pursued.

Now what we are going to do is we are going to take each

one of you and put you in a different part of London.

You are going to have to find a place to sleep,

you are going to have to find a place to eat.

John, can I just ask you... I am a terrible cynic.

And I am rather doubtful what can be done when

a bunch of people like us go out for a very short period of time.

I, like you, I wasn't cynical, I was sceptical.

And when I was asked to do this kind of stuff, I said,

I am not going to get involved because it doesn't change anything.

It has changed a lot.

I have to say also, you only have to have a problem around drink,

around drugs, around depression, around family breakdown

and all these things, and there are a lot of people who will get caught out.

I am here to be a person who can come along and

when things get a bit sticky, I can swap a few words with you.

But I am not here to do your thinking for you,

do you understand that?

-Yup.

-Yeah.

-You are totally and utterly on your own.

-I need your phones and your wallets.

-Yeah.

The newly homeless volunteers are not allowed to stay at a hotel

or rely on their celebrity status to aid them.

-This is your clobber.

-Thank you.

-Wow.

John has also provided them with some old clothes to help them

blend in with the rest of London's rough sleepers.

Those are actually nicer than the things you have got on.

-Do you think so?

-Well, I think...

-If that was an option.

I'm just saying... I'm going to take what I've got.

My God, look at him! What a figure of a man.

Is it nice?!

Let me feel it.

-Oh, my God!

-Silk.

-That's sexy. That is sexy!

-Here we go, am I looking presentable?

-You look quite nice.

You don't look like you need any money.

That's not going to help, is it?

What makes this place special isn't just the view, it's

this stuff under my feet.

As a presenter of programmes like Countryfile

and Wainwright's Walks, Julia Bradbury is used to spending

time on her feet in the great outdoors.

My body is emitting a hot, damp heat. I want to sit down.

Oh, little kick, kick, kick!

I've got children now.

We're a really lucky family.

I have a very cosy, comfortable life.

And that's one of the reasons why I want to have this experience.

It's not about feeling guilty.

I suppose it's a bit of a wake-up call for us all.

You can't live in a big city in this country any more

and not encounter homelessness.

It's on the increase and it bothers me.

And I want to highlight it as a cause, because I actually

think it's something we could genuinely do more about.

So, you're all dressed up for the parts, you're looking great.

-How are you feeling in this new uniform?

-Apprehensive.

That's the key thing. I believe it'll be zero degrees tonight.

Hopefully I've got enough on me to be warm enough.

I can only wish you the best and good luck.

-Good man.

-Thank you, John.

The volunteers are on their way to their drop-off points.

They are going into a very threatening world

and they won't know who to trust, because the first thing that

disappears when you fall out on the streets, is the truth.

You go onto the streets

and sometimes you're hiding from your family,

you are hiding from the police, you're hiding from your past life.

This is me, is it?

Kim is being taken straight to

Piccadilly Circus in the West End.

Right. I want a bed whereby I'm seen by many people.

That might be good, because you see under here, my loves, look.

I have got cover if it rains, haven't I?

I think this will do me. I think so.

-NICK:

-So, where do you think you two?

I bet it's Knightsbridge now.

-NICK LAUGHS

-Straight outside Harrods.

MUSIC: Snooker Loopy by Chas N' Dave

Willie Thorne has become accustomed to life's luxuries.

# Now old Willie Thorne, his hairs all gone

# And his mates all take the rise

# His opponents said "Cover up his head

# "Cos it's shining in my eyes..." #

I was very, very lucky to be around in the '80s

when snooker was the number one sport.

In a good year you could earn like a million quid.

# It's just not fair giving off that glare

# Perhaps I ought to chalk it... #

But since retirement,

Willie has lost all of the money he made during his career.

I know that when I am walking down the street now people think,

"Willie Thorne, he's done like five million quid gambling."

I'm borrowing from moneylenders and things like that.

And having problems in my life by them ringing up and saying,

"Look, we'll come round and break your knuckles" or something if you don't kind of pay.

And that's what really got me depressed.

I wanted to commit suicide and came very close to doing so.

Gambling cost him his first marriage and his house.

And he's recently declared himself bankrupt to enable him

to stay in his current home.

He has lived a pampered life, really.

He likes everything handed to him on a plate.

He's never been in that situation or anything remotely like that

where he's had to fend for himself.

Willie will have to start fending for himself in Brixton,

in south London. SIREN WAILS

That's not a good sign, is it, seeing police cars

race around everywhere.

Welcome to Brixton.

Good luck, everyone. Bye for now. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

Could do with a sit down, I know that.

I like to think that a penny will drop and think,

actually this could have happened to me.

At the age of 61, it's about time he did actually learn, bless him.

It doesn't take long for Willie to get a cold dose of reality.

Say it again?

That's what I'm trying to do myself.

It's my first day homeless, I'm trying to get some money myself.

That's why these people are here.

No, no. That's what they're saying.

All right, we need to do something.

I need to sit down and have a think.

Willie should be thinking of finding a place to bed down for the night.

He's taken a seat outside the cinema.

I am happy to sit here, you know, with the music going on.

It's not a bad place to sit.

But, you know, it's just a bit worrying, really.

No.

SIREN BLARES

What's this, Hackney high street?

Dalston in the East End...

..is where Nick will start his life on the streets.

-Good luck.

-Thank you. I'm not sure I know where Dalston is.

-No.

Let's go this way.

He soon attracts some unsolicited attention.

He's not a totally happy bunny, that chap.

He's following me, yeah. No doubt about it.

That's why I stopped on that corner. What are you following me for?

It could have been any number of things.

He might even be old enough to think he'd seen me on the television!

-APPLAUSE

-Hello and welcome to They Think It's All Over.

'Many, many, many years ago, I used to do a sports quiz called They Think It's All Over.'

-Gary?

-"Nick Hancock is a wanker".

-LAUGHTER

'Looking back on and seeing the young person I was doing that,

'with the lack of fear, is quite alien to me now.'

'I live, you know, an incredibly comfortable life.

'I have lovely children, a lovely wife, a comfortable home.

'We were down in London one time, I think to watch a football match,

'and a friend we hadn't seen for a couple of years,

'he was outside Great Portland Street, begging.'

That was a real wake-up call.

Excuse me, mate, you haven't got a spare fag, have you?

Thank you so much. I really appreciate that.

Have a great evening.

-Do you know where karaoke bar is?

-Oh, I don't know, mate.

-The sing-along...?

-I don't know, mate. No.

I have to sleep somewhere, probably down here, I'm thinking.

-Do you think that's a good place?

-Homeless people sleep on cardboard.

-Is that... That's the trick, is it? OK.

-Insulates the heat.

So you're not right on the stone. OK, I'll go for that.

-That's a great piece of advice. Cheers, Santa.

-Take care.

Cheers, mate.

As Nick prepares his bed for the night...

Julia is thinking about how she can avoid sleeping rough.

My number one priority tonight is

if at all possible, I would like not to sleep on the streets.

She is being dropped in Camden Town.

An affluent area of north London that attracts many rough sleepers.

Don't know where I'm going.

There are lots of people sleeping rough here.

Ladies, hi. Hiya.

I am doing my first night sleeping rough tonight

and I am trying to find enough money for a hostel tonight.

I've got no money, but if you want to sleep on the sofa with me...

I didn't know if anybody would be kind enough to spare any change.

Begging is illegal.

And over 800 people are prosecuted for it every year.

I hope that will make it a bit better.

I would argue that I am not technically begging.

I would say that I am talking to people and I am asking them

for money. I hate to ask and I'm...really grateful.

Wow! But I am not actually sitting on the street with my hands opened

wide and technically begging, that's what I would say.

Oh, my God, thank you so much. You are really kind. Thank you.

Oh, you are so kind. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

There's a hostel down there.

I don't know if it's down here.

-Oh! Have you been in the Army?

-Yeah, of course, my darling.

Bloody hell. It's terrible, isn't it?

Kim hasn't strayed more than a few yards from where she was dropped.

And she's already started making new friends.

How does an army man end up on the streets?

When did you come out?

I came out about 16 years ago. Met a girl, had kids, a normal life.

-Then what happened?

-Well, me and her split up.

I finally got diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar.

I got taken into hospital, I had a problem with my kidneys and lungs.

Cos I wasn't there to re-sign the new tenancy agreement,

cos I was in hospital,

he chucked all my stuff out and rented my room to someone else.

'I am sure most of these people that are in these high positions'

have never bothered getting down and dirty

and said, "Why are you on the street?"

I am sure half of them could do with doing what I'm going to do,

go and sleep in a bag beside them.

You can't get through to a person if they're on the floor and you're standing above them.

This is my hubby's bathroom.

I never use a toilet brush.

Although I say it myself, I do excel at cleaning. I know my stuff.

I got a top paid job on telly.

It was a major hit, made a few bob, thank you very much.

I put my hands straight down the toilet...

As co-host of How Clean Is Your House?

Kim Woodburn became one of the highest-paid

presenters on British television.

This is my bathroom.

But she has not forgotten her humble origins.

I love shells.

I slept two nights rough when I was a young girl, it was awful.

Because you're homeless, you're not necessarily a bum.

You can hear the sea.

I am not going to be a do-gooder.

There are bums. Look, I'm sorry!

Trotting around the street with a can of beer and mucking about.

I have no time for those people.

But don't stigmatise them all, some of them are all right.

How do you put up with the cold and that, my love?

These are hand warmers, OK. Take them out of this packet, put one in.

Ah, bless you!

-You will need one under you as well.

-Sleep on top of this.

-What's that...?

-That's brand-new, that.

-You can't give me that.

You're all right, honestly.

Yeah, don't zip up.

Right, and these are going on my feet later

because I am going to freeze.

The two lovely young men that I spoke to, gave me this.

He said you have to have a sleeping bag on the ground

because the cold comes through.

Right.

If you find steak, eggs and chips on your travels, don't forget me

lying here, starving.

Willie has managed to get some money,

but is still looking for a place to sleep.

Where would I go now, cos I don't fancy sleeping on the streets?

Come here, Emma, listen to this man.

I'm going to sleep rough week, I don't know what to do,

I don't know where to sleep tonight.

Out here it's not easy.

-People think it's easy out here, but it's not.

-I'm telling you.

Imagine doing it voluntarily. Hello! Not me.

The best place I would say is in the church.

-When I came here, I was...

-GLASS SMASHES

Where did that come from?

This is the worst area you could have come to.

MAN SINGS

He lives in hospital.

Adam, stop being stupid!

-You take care, nice meeting you.

-Bye.

From what she's telling me, you know, it is

a bit dangerous around here, to sleep on the streets.

So I've got to be honest, I'm a bit reluctant to do so.

I can't believe how the temperature's dropped from what it was when we first came down.

So they have decided they are not going for a hostel tonight.

Maybe the hostels are full.

Or perhaps there is another reason.

OK.

All right, thank you.

The hostel owner has suggested Julia try his friend's

place down the road.

Hi, your friend sent me from around the corner.

He said that you might have a bed for me for tonight?

If I've got money but no ID, that's fine?

OK, same thing, no ID. So no ID, no bed.

Being homeless is, even if you have the resources...

SIRENS WAIL

..if you don't have an identity, then...

..you, you cannot go and stay anywhere.

But that's what, I suppose being homeless is all about, is you're

stripped of every asset that you have and your identity is an asset.

Should have taken up the guy with the sofa.

Here's my shelter.

I think the church steps are calling.

My mind is whirring.

God knows how I am going to fit in this. Made for dwarves!

I can't imagine that you would ever sleep easy.

It's a tough way to live.

I think the life expectancy of homeless people is 47.

Less for women.

This is too uncomfortable.

Seems to be loads of police cars, ambulances, fire engines going by.

It is a tough place.

I don't know how they do it, and I've only been here ten hours or something, whatever it is.

Hard on this floor, I'm telling you. I haven't slept.

My God, what a terrible life for people.

And the people I have spoken to so far, very nice people.

Kim's not the only one who's up and about.

She's been approached by an 18-year-old girl

who's been on the streets for a year.

-Are you homeless, seriously?

-I swear down, I am.

-Got into gangs and everything.

-Oh, did ya?

Messed it all up and I regretted it

and lost both of my kids as well.

-Your kids?!

-Yeah.

I think you're telling porkies.

-How many kids have you got?

-Two.

-And how old are you?

-18.

Well, you did mess things up, didn't you?

Nothing you can't put right.

All right, so are you happy at 18 to live with your boyfriend on the streets?

I don't like being on the streets, no.

All right, what about mum and dad?

Love and hate relationship between me and my mum.

We do talk and that, she does want me back, but it is just me.

It's a little bit hard.

But listen, my love, there's no future, you living on a street.

I couldn't go back home, I had a terrible mother.

She hated me.

All I got week after week was, "You ugly little cow."

And she punished me for that and beat the hell out of me.

-And I left home. Call your mum.

-I definitely will do it.

I have got some coins here.

Kim was given some money by a passer-by earlier in the evening.

-Is that 60?

-Yeah. I will put that in the phone box.

-Go on.

What I don't understand about that girl is that she has come up

and said, "I've got a mum."

What is she doing here?!

SIREN WAILS

Oh! I've been better.

I don't think I slept.

You can feel the cold of the concrete through the cardboard.

I have just had a few hours at this and you can see just how done in

and run down you get by all of this.

Ooh! Can I use your bathroom?

Thank goodness there isn't a mirror in here!

-I actually am quite hungry now.

-All right, mate, what are you filming?

We're doing a thing about living on the street.

-OK, if I was to give you a fiver.

-Really?

-Yeah, go on.

-Are you sure?

-Go and have a cup of tea.

-Good man.

But a fiver doesn't go very far.

Bacon roll, £2.50. I don't think that's great.

Cheese omelette with two Ls,

omelette doesn't have two Ls, does it?

I haven't lost all my standards, I won't ever eat at somewhere that

spells omelette with two Ls it's just a thing I have(!)

This is a pain now.

Nick is heading into the city.

And now we're seeing more and more people.

Excuse me, mate.

-Do you know anywhere where I can get anything to eat?

-Eat?

-Yeah.

Usually a lot of people give away chicken and rice from around the corner.

-Down here?

-Yeah.

-And how long have you been around here?

I've been here now for three weeks.

I was at King's Cross, but they said they would give me

an ASBO, I can't sit round there no more.

Can you see any way that you won't be on the street in a year's time?

I don't know, really.

Not unless I get a substantial amount of money given to me

so I can put a deposit down on somewhere to rent.

-Is that what you would like to do?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Thanks for talking to me, mate. Good man.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Do you know what, I am such an ignorant bugger,

-I've chatted to you and I never even asked you your name.

-I'm James.

James, I'm Nick. Good to see you, mate.

That's terrible of me, I'm so sorry about that.

-It's OK, quite a few people do it.

-I know.

-But it's not right, is it?

-It's all right, mate.

-Thanks, James.

When James says he'd like to save up enough for a deposit on a flat,

then my instinct is to say, that's not going to happen, James.

It just felt like one of those lies that people tell themselves

to make things bearable.

If he isn't thinking that something can really change,

what is there to think?

So far, all of the volunteers have managed to get

money from the public.

Birds. Ah-ah!

But for Kim, this only seems to deepen her sense of degradation.

I am a bit depressed, actually. I am a bit fed up.

You sit there watching the traffic go by and everybody looks at you

and you can see what they are thinking.

Don't they know anyone can be homeless?

Are they so confident they're always going to have a home

and a hubby and a wife.

My love, it crashes around you.

When they'd walk past me, I thought,

"Little do you know I am famous with a few bob, you fat asses," you know.

To eke out his money,

Willie has walked three miles to the Ace of Clubs,

a day centre for the homeless in Clapham...

-Veg?

-No, thank you.

-..where he can get lunch for a pound.

-How did this happen?

-Gambling.

-Ah!

It's a bit of a shock to the system, isn't it, when you first

go on the street, I have never been on the street before, you know.

After an anxious first night,

he is hoping to find somewhere safer to sleep.

At night, if you are asleep, you are a target.

I stay awake at night to try and get a kip during the day.

It's safer during the day.

-Are you London based? Is that where you're from?

-No.

-Originally from Coventry.

-Oh, Coventry, I'm next-door, Leicester.

They're playing Chelsea tonight, so I want to watch that game,

-cheer me up a little bit.

-I reckon they should beat them.

-I hope so.

-Don't bet.

-Oh, no. I have finished betting, thank you.

-No money for betting.

-I am retired.

I just need to catch up on a little bit of sleep. I am so tired.

My legs are aching, my body's aching.

I don't know if this is one of those recliners, is it?

No.

But, gee-whiz!

SIREN WAILS

Kim has gone to look for Ayisha to find out

if she made contact with her mum.

-What happened?

-I went to the phone box, phoned my mum,

-she'll put money into my account tomorrow.

-Are you really going?

Yeah, I am. I phoned my mum and everything.

She said she is putting money into my account.

-What did she say when you called her?

-Nothing.

She was happy to hear I was going home.

What?! Your little face.

-Good luck, darling, good luck.

-Thank you.

Do you know, I am not sure she is going to do this, you know.

It has all fallen into place so quickly, hasn't it?

I'd like to think that she was, but I don't know.

Willie has managed to get a couple of hours' sleep.

Unfortunately for him, the Ace of Clubs shuts for the night.

Ah!

But instead of finding a place to bed down,

Willie has something else in mind.

I've still got £12, I am going to sit down and have a Coke

and watch Leicester and Chelsea.

I've got the feeling that you're angling for a non-homeless

night as Willie Thorne.

I mean, obviously it would be nice just to sit in a chair for a couple

of hours, have a Coke and a packet of crisps and watch the match.

Girls? I'm really sorry to bother you.

-I'm afraid I don't actually have any cash on me.

-All right.

Well, thank you very much anyway. Thanks for listening.

This feels so wrong. You just feel bad asking for money.

It's all about your conviction and I don't have the conviction tonight.

Why on earth am I doing this?

And I'm completely knackered.

I'm upset to be broken so quickly.

I am not looking forward to lying down on a concrete floor again, I have to say.

KIM WHISTLES TO HERSELF

Whistling. # It's hard life... #

SHE HUMS REST OF THE MELODY

-# It's a hard life.

-#

And with a spell of rain on the way, it's about to get harder.

Bunk beds!

-# ..Small pleasures, who would deny us them?

-Not me...! #

Some guys over there. Competition tonight.

Does that smell of fish?

Go on, let's have one more.

This is soaking. Look at this, absolutely drenched.

It's started to come through, it's cold.

Go on, son. Ooh!

I'm sorry to bother you.

# It's a fine line.... #

There we go.

It's all right, I just wondered if you had any change.

English change?

I tell you what, years from now everybody will be sleeping in something like that.

Look. A whole new mattress.

Top of the league.

Well, this is a bit wet, isn't it? Let's go and have a look around.

I have become a bag lady!

Supper!

I am not in the right place, am I?

Well, I'm damned.

I don't know where I am.

Kim's not the only one struggling to find her bearings.

After spending three hours in the pub, Willie is cold,

wet and in need of a place to sleep.

I'm pretty tired now, to be perfectly honest.

I don't know whether to go this way or that way,

I don't know kind of the best way to go.

Maybe this way.

I am just going to go and have a look at this church and see if there

is any spaces round there I can get somewhere in the dry, you know.

The dry has already been taken.

There's five people round there and, er, there's

a few people with drinks and things.

So I am not going to feel safe staying there.

So we need to move on somewhere else.

I think there is a little church somewhere,

but I don't know exactly where it is.

Right, where are we going?

That's information you need to find out before you...

Well, I'm not in the mood to be fucked about while it's raining,

so...either get on a bus and we go back to where I was going, or we find it.

I haven't got a phone or anything and this time of night, I don't

want to be asking people.

I don't even know what the church is called.

This is not a fucking game, you don't take the piss.

Well, we're not.

Well, you are now.

Excuse me, is Brixton this way?

OK, thank you.

Willie has returned to the same noisy church steps that he

failed to sleep on last night.

Talk to me in the morning.

I am too old and long in the tooth to be fucked about.

And Nick has returned to the alleyway he slept in yesterday...

Excuse me?!

..but this time has company.

A little bit more lively tonight.

-Excuse me.

-SIREN WAILS, WOMAN SHOUTS

I'm worried about this lady.

I have met a lot of people who need help, but she needs help now.

-Ooh!

-My first instinct is to try

and get through tonight which is terrible.

You know, where's the milk of human kindness in that?

Maybe that's just a coward's way out.

SHE SHOUTS

SIRENS CONTINUE BLARING

I can't believe how much activity there is at night.

And also I had my first witness of two people smoking crack cocaine,

which I had never seen before.

You have do this to know what it's like.

Like I have said so many times, "how sad to be homeless."

But I didn't know just how sad

because I am just about in the biggest mess I've ever been in.

Last night I found this just here.

A little bangle with "faith" written on it.

I'm not sure if there's a time limit on this day care centre,

I don't know if you have to be there for a certain time.

I might be a bit late, but let's see.

Julia is heading to a day centre in Camden.

She's hoping to get a shower and some hot food.

Hi, there. Hello.

It's not a spa, but I'll take it.

Bye.

How are you doing?

-Cool!

-Sorry, did I interrupt?

No, it's all right. No, come. How are you doing.

-Nice to meet you. How are you doing?

-Fine.

-Sit down. What are you up to?

Three days?

So you've then sleeping rough up till then?

-I'm a binge drinker. I don't really drink, I get hammered every now and again.

-Right.

Drugs - I've done every drug there is.

At the moment I am addicted to Spice, a legal high.

Most of the homeless people are.

It's ruining us.

What is it?

It's synthetic cannabis.

You seem in control, to me, now. And it all seems pretty good.

Are you having a good moment in the day, or...?

-I've met Julia Bradbury, I'm buzzing!

-SHE LAUGHS

I used to have rows with my cellmate in prison.

He'd want to watch EastEnders. I'd say, "No." Or Coronation Street.

I'd say, "No, I said I'm watching Countryfile. Honestly, I'm watching Countryfile." I loved it.

Well, I'm pleased, I was in your cell with you, keeping you company.

I have something called DSPD, it's Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder.

-There's two of me.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the good one.

I'm quite happy with the good one.

I'm a bit frightened about the bad one.

Stephen has spent ten of the last 12 years in prison, for robbery and GBH.

He's offered to show Julia around for the afternoon.

Before going to his favourite begging spot in Holborn...

-Ah, so tools of the trade.

-..he changes into a scruffier coat.

This one is ripped. It's messed up.

-Look at you.

-I'm sorry, but you have to survive, innit?

You've got to survive, yeah.

Hello mate, got a spare cigarette, please?

-Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no.

-What, what, what?

-Hello!

-Hi, how are you doing?

Stephen is known to the local street wardens who regularly move him on.

What are you begging for now?

Cos you've got a bed and you've got food.

Since I have moved into that house,

I have only begged a couple of times.

I feel guilty cos I have got a sign that says I am homeless

and I am not any more.

But I am still not receiving benefits, so I need ...

-Yeah, I understand why you need...

-Cigarettes and Spice.

The legal high, Spice, is highly addictive

and has taken hold across the homeless community.

Any spare change?

Any spare change at all?

The frightening thing is not seeing something you don't recognise,

the frightening thing is seeing something you do recognise!

Last night there was a woman who was clearly mentally ill in Dalston

and I can think of nights I might have looked a bit like that.

If that's part of a pattern, probably too far.

I think, you know... I think I have issues with alcohol

and it's something I would like to sort out.

It's been...

I come from a generation where it's

so central to nearly everything that I have ever done.

I mean from the age of 14.

If I look at myself I think, you know...

This is, there is...too much going on, you know.

And, you know, and a bit bored of it.

That's enough exegesis!

After a second sleepless night,

Willie has returned to the Ace of Clubs in Clapham.

I can't tell you how much I'm struggling at the minute.

I know that if I have another night like this,

I might not last the trip. So it's a must that I get some sleep tonight.

Because I don't want to quit.

Oooh. Oh, dear.

His struggles have not gone unnoticed by the staff.

-I'm Steps.

-Nice to see you.

-You have been invited to sleep where I sleep tonight.

-Where is that?

-At the church.

-It's dry there, is it?

-It's dry.

Depends on the direction of the wind.

So let's walk.

Steps is 58 and has been sleeping rough for the last five months.

The staff at the Ace of Clubs know him well

and often ask him to look out for inexperienced

rough sleepers like Willie.

The church is over here.

He plans to go to the church that Willie felt was too risky to

stay at the night before.

We looked at that last night and there was, people who were

sleeping out last night who seemed to be a bit drunk.

Is that going to be the case tonight?

That's always the case, but that's what's to be expected.

When I get there, I want to go to sleep. Whether or not that's going to be the case or not...

Listen, whatever happens, Steps,

I'll mosey over there at nine, ten o'clock.

Thanks, Steps, thank you.

I don't know what he's planning,

but he's trying to escape from the reality of it all.

I went to that place last night.

And there were fucking alcoholics everywhere.

You know, I don't feel safe there.

SIRENS BLARE

Yeah, but Dave...

You know, I'm doing this because I wanted to do it.

But you are not helping at the minute, you know.

You are not helping at the minute.

Don't look at me done out, Dave, or else I will fuck off!

Leave it with me, I'll be fine. I'll be on the street, don't worry.

-You might have to wait in reception for five minutes.

-Yup. That's all right.

Stephen has invited Julia back to his room,

in a hostel for the homeless in Camden.

-This is the humble abode.

-Yeah. That's a nice size, isn't it?

Oh, there is a bed.

-Is it comfortable?

-No, it's too soft!

Ooh!

So you've been sleeping rough since May.

It all happened really quickly.

They assessed that my needs were higher than some people,

so they put me in here, which is good.

What have you agreed to do to keep the room?

I've agreed to sort my shit out.

I'm in Camden, it's Spice town.

The biggest obstacle facing Stephen now is his addiction to Spice.

Previously, his mother has helped him to go cold turkey.

She won't do it again though, that's the thing.

But you've got a really good moment now to speak to your mum,

because you've done this and you say, "Look, I just don't want to fuck this up.

"I need you to do... This is what I need to do and this is what I want to do.

"Please help me one last time because this is what's at stake."

I'll talk to her if you want.

Kim is looking for Ayisha again.

Where's our little girl?

Ayisha's called her mum,

but doesn't feel comfortable living with her at this time.

She's still sleeping rough on the streets.

I said you told pork pies.

Some people are a waste of my time and space

and will be on the streets forever, because you can't be bothered.

You're a disgrace, what you're doing to your mother.

And I hope she never forgives you because you're a little horror!

Bloody swines!

She said she loved her mum dearly. Her mum adored her.

And her mum would have back tomorrow.

What did I do, I said, "Go on, go on - do it now." Oh!

It's just a pack of lies.

-Oh, my God. Thanks, my love.

-All right.

Oh, you little tinker!

Do you see what I am saying?

They are in a predicament, but they are lovely.

Heck of a lot different to that girl.

All right. Who put in danger here? She did.

What, are you God?

You won't change her. She's a wild one.

You'll always think, "Why did you turn out like this?

"We love you, we love you now. You can't live with us.

"You're killing us."

And many a parent's said that.

It's the same as... You know what's so strange to imagine, when you get divorced.

You meet a person, OK. And it's a wonderful courtship.

And within a year, you stand in a court room...

and that man doesn't even look at you.

He doesn't look at you.

And his girlfriend's waiting outside who's half your age.

And you think of all the times you had together with him.

It annihilates you. I can't do that. I can't do that.

I can't let anybody do that to me.

It's the same with a child.

Oh, absolutely. I was a broken woman.

We're waiting for Willie, who is down at the McDonald's,

to come down so we can find out what his beef is.

For the past two hours,

Willie has been threatening to pull out and go home.

When you're down, when you're tired, you want to find somebody to blame.

Defining yourself by the failures of others

is quite a neat little trick.

The unfortunate thing is it never takes you anywhere,

it never gets you to look at who you are, what you're going through

and what you need to do.

I said, from the very beginning, this is going to be really,

really difficult and uncomfortable.

-I just need a little bit of time off.

-What is time off for you?

I don't know. I mean just somewhere I can have a kip.

I'm a man with no kip.

-This guy has been trying to help him all day. Just there.

-Where is he?

-Hello there.

-How are you.

-How are you, yeah.

-I'm one of the homeless.

Today I have encountered him.

I've been asked to look after him, keep them under my wing...

That's brilliant.

I have been sleeping under the church...

Like I said, last night it wasn't safe, tonight it is.

And I've had to walk three miles last night to get to Brixton...

One of the fundamental points that you're making

there are about, "I've had to walk three miles,"

-I have had to walk ten, 15, 20 fucking miles...

-I know what you're saying.

No, there's nothing to say.

You are incorrect in your speech.

-We come from a life...

-I know.

..at home, to try and live a life of like you are.

I come from a life of home.

-I am 58 years old.

-But you have been on the streets for a while, I've not.

That's irrelevant!

I've had money, I've had businesses, I've been married, I've got kids,

I've got grandchildren.

Let's get some substance about ourselves now.

-OK, I finished.

-Fundamentally you're missing the point, big-time.

I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it.

I've been talked down to by everybody.

The only thing in his defence, I would say, is he has been totally

and utterly blown away by this experience.

Why am I being made out to be the bad guy here?

Nobody's made you out to be the bad guy.

Let me have a night off, and I'll be fine at eight o'clock in the morning.

It would be much better if you did stay with him tonight.

I know that, Steps, and I am very sorry.

But you don't know what's happened. Only the last ten minutes.

I know what's happened in the last five months of my life,

and I've been sleeping on the streets.

Thank you very much, thank you.

Willie is going to get the night off that he craves.

Willie is a person who has always, as far as I can understand,

been surrounded by comfort.

And if you take that person and you put them

and you dump them on the streets, it's really difficult to bounce up.

I'm sure I'll be all right tomorrow because my head is hurting.

I am knackered. And I need a bath.

My feet were swelling up, that one's not quite as swollen up as much,

but look how that's swelled up.

It's only a shower not a bath, but that'll be perfect.

Think it's time you went.

It's showers too for the volunteers who remain on the streets.

Look, it's coming all through here.

I wondered why it was wet.

I'm down to a plastic bag and now it is raining all over me.

I hate it!

The water finds its way down and then drops in my face.

Look how wet that is already.

There's a bloke who's begging

and he might be able to give me a bit of advice.

Do you know anywhere good around here to bed down?

I'm fine mate, how are you?

Hello, lovely. You all right?

-Is that a good place?

-Yeah.

-Are you going to be my guide?

-I can show you.

-Cheers, mate.

-Thank you.

-Come on then.

-Good lad.

Thank you.

-It's just down over here.

-Right then.

-And in here, you can get some more cardboard.

-Oh, wow.

And it's all fresh and clean.

I am so glad I have met you.

Right, I'm following you.

Oh, look at that.

I am having a bit of a trouser malfunction.

I'll get moved on for indecent exposure, never mind anything else.

-How long have you been sleeping...?

-On and off, seven years now.

Wow, really? It's this that I miss.

Having a conversation with somebody, do you know what I mean?

-This is what I call home.

-Oh, right. This is great.

You are a wonderful, wonderful person.

Do you want a drink? I've got orange juice.

I've got some water. That's one thing I have been lucky about...

I'll be back in a bit, don't worry, I'll be back.

-Thank you.

-All right, see you soon.

-See you, lovely.

-Bye!

Oh, my word!

Oh!

Just...

She'd never met me before and she just... Giving, you know,

full of advice,

comfort.

And you know, I really want to, one, sleep and two, have a good

chat with them tomorrow if you know they feel able and happy to do it.

He's been really incredible, he's been really helpful,

he's been very open as well. All right, thank you.

Julia has convinced Stephen to call his mum again.

And ask if she will help them to break his Spice addiction.

I think we might have to book a weekend in a Holiday Inn somewhere,

just for three days so I can knock me on the Spice. Yeah, I promise.

All right. Thanks.

All right, love you loads.

All right, thank you very much.

All right, love you. Bye.

Bye-bye.

Right, she's going to do it as well.

-Of course she is.

-Jeez!

-Faith.

-I think maybe now is the handover time, actually.

-It's a bit girlie, though, isn't it?

-It's all right, it's not girlie.

Come on. There you go. That's it.

-It is wet, Julia.

-I know. Right, I'm coming down.

-Where did you get the carpet from?

-A skip.

-A skip?

The first bits are wet, so...

Not that bit. It's quite a good carpet.

Stephen has gone to find some extra cardboard.

It's been really amazing meeting him.

In one way he's been given this golden ticket

cos he has got a really good room in a very good hostel.

But I'm a mother and if he was my son, I would be distraught because

there is no polite way of saying this, I am sorry, he has fucked up.

Yeah, I think she is helping me more than she knows.

For one, I would not have asked my mum to help me get off the Spice again.

She seems very caring. She's got a mothering instinct, definitely.

But this is his fight, this is his battle

and it's his family's situation.

My knight in shining armour, look at that.

-So, has it been a good day today?

-Been a brilliant day.

Very constructive.

I smoked the least amount of Spice I've smoked for months.

There's a lot of thinking time when you're homeless.

A lot of thinking time.

Let me get myself dressed.

Before heading off, Nick wants to find out a bit more about how

Becky and Sam ended up on the streets.

I was in care, got moved around a lot.

I met Sam and that and then I thought, obviously

when you hit 18, they're meant to find you a flat

and they said basically they'd help me but they wouldn't help Sam.

When you sort of set off, what were you imagining you were going to?

Didn't know. We just thought any life must be better than what we had. So...

-Sorry...

-So you went off.

This has been hard where we can't be together.

Lots of times they keep on trying to break us up and it's just...

Is that because...

You know, there isn't...

It's more easy for them to look after one person on their own.

-If you want to be with Sam, this is your option.

-This is it.

We should go and find him, only because I am conscious he is

probably waiting for us out there and it's cold and it's wet.

-How are you?

-How are you doing?

-You really saved my bacon last night, mate.

-It's cool, mate. I am glad.

-Cheers, you look after yourself, OK?

-Yeah.

-See you, Hooch.

At least you're one of these people.

I've heard of people who've done a programme before,

and haven't had the balls and gone in a hotel. You know?

Oh! I'm still a little bit lame.

Thank you very much.

Great to meet you. Best of luck to you too, huh?

Keep that head. Think about stuff.

Enough. Enough tears. I'm fine.

-See you later. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Take care, mate.

-See you, bye.

-See you. Bye-bye.

Becky and Sam are two people who have shown me

more generosity in their own way than nearly anybody I've ever met.

I can't think of people who have offered me

so much of what little they have, so readily.

I am not a man who wells up particularly easily,

there are tears in my eyes.

But my, my stoic-ness and Englishness is stopping them dropping out of there.

Sport Relief money it is at work tonight all across the UK.

It is supporting the homeless, not just to survive,

but to get off the streets.

Giving people like these a chance to rebuild their lives.

You can make a real difference to people who have lost their homes.

To make a donation...

I came across a girl, 18.

I said, you are a lazy little bum.

The volunteers are halfway through the experience...

Kim, I am going to cut you dead there.

I believe that everybody is redeemable.

-Piffle!

-..and John is putting each of them with a homeless buddy.

-I've been in prison and...

-What were you in prison for, if you don't mind me asking?

-I'd rather not talk about it.

-To get a deeper understanding...

When you have to walk into this room, what do you think?

You get a big sinking feeling in your heart.

..of the obstacles facing Britain's homeless.

-All right, I'll be back in a minute.

-All right.

He's a heroin addict.

Now he's about to puke and shit his self.

The answer isn't just housing, it isn't just money,

it isn't just counselling.

She's totally stubborn.

I don't think I am like her. I think what a bloody cheek.

And to realise just how precarious their own lives of wealth

-and luxury...

-I would go round tickety-boo, everybody thinks...

everything's fine, but it's not.

-..really are.

-I might do this more often. Not!