Heir who’s ‘addicted to spending money’ swaps millionaire lifestyle for the streets in Rich Kids Go Homeless

A SPOILED heir who admitted to “retching” at rough sleepers has a rude awakening in Rich Kids Go Homeless.

Banker Jay, 24, who is a “premier member of the bank of dad” and “addicted to spending”, wants for nothing with his grandfather worth over £8 million.

But he swaps his fast-paced life for the streets of Islington in the 5Star programme tonight, but is determined he won’t be there long.

Jay explains: “I think people on the streets can be lazy, more often than not quite dirty and lacking drive in life.

“I want to show people it can be easy getting off the streets, if you’ve got all the time in the world you should have time to make a plan and action it.

“Hopefully by the end of this I should have enough money to sit in a half decent hotel room sipping on a glass of champagne.”

Admitting that he is most anxious about “dealing with the cold” and “unsavoury” people, Jay sets about begging for money the moment he steps out of the cab.

“I want to look presentable enough but also decrepit enough that I can appeal to people’s better nature,” Jay adds.

Within two minutes he has already made £4.80, and after an evening of begging he has made almost £25.

But entrepreneurial Jay decides to hang on to his newfound fortune, opting it to rough it for the night.

Feeling accomplished he says, “I was expecting a little bit more trouble, a little bit more difficulty, I don’t want to get ahead of myself but so far yeah it’s a bit easy.”

The following morning, Jay invests in crafts supplies, fashioning some “spoon people” that he aims to sell on, but has little success.

Perturbed he says: “There’s a lot of people looking at me like filth.

“It’s a bit dehumanizing, people don’t even want to stand next to me - it’s a bit s*** to be honest. I am ready to throw in the towel.”

Left with no money for a hostel, Jay meets up with rough-sleeper Reece who has been on the streets for eight months.

Reece reveals that he is a sexual abuse victim, and turned to drugs as a way of coping with much of the £100 he makes a day spent on crack and heroin.

“I'm scared and I don't even know what to do,” Reece explains, “I was 17 or 18, I couldn't take it anymore so I got out of this.”

Hearing the harrowing story, Jay opens up about his own abuse history revealing that he had been raped twice.

Jay reflects: “If you had nothing to live for, if you knew this was the foreseeable future, I don’t know how you would cope.

I’m bored of this already, I want my car back, I want my phone back, I want my life back

Jay

“Money doesn’t make you impervious to bad things happening to you “

But Jay’s understanding quickly wanes as Reece’s begging partner Rachel reveals that they have just a few hours between each hit.

He laments: “I think they’ve gotten comfortable. I’ve been told that they’re suffering, I’ve been told that they’re in pain.

“It’s only going to last 2-3 hours and we’re back in the same situation, I don’t see much point.

“I’m bored of this already, I want my car back, I want my phone back, I want my life back.”

Becoming frustrated at the situation he confronts Reece and Rachel who describe their life as “groundhog day.”

Jay says: “They’re always going to be held back by this constant vice, always drugs drugs drugs, it is starting to p** me off.

"I feel like someone who has maybe had it a bit easy, I feel like they’re a lot braver than I am, I feel like I don’t earn the life that I live in the same way they earn theirs.

“Spending is as much my vice as heroin is Reece’s. Maybe I should be less than reliant on the bank of dad, maybe I should be more content.”

Determined to gain a better understanding of Reece and Rachel’s life, Jay comes to witness them smoking crack cocaine with Rachel revealing the welks left in their arms and necks from using needles.

In a shocking admission, Rachel says that if hear of someone dying of an overdose, they are keen to hear who their dealer is as they can guarantee it is a strong supply.

Hearing about the daily struggle that Reece and Rachel face has been a sobering experience for Jay.

Reflecting on his journey he says: “My views have definitely changed, and I definitely feel a bit guilty leaving here and going back to my own life.

“No one wants to be a homeless person, anyone who ends up a homeless person has ended up there because things have gone badly wrong. Life is a bit of a gamble.

“If I was to meet my old self I would probably thing he was a bit of a d***”

Since filming Jay has befriended a local homeless person and takes time to share a coffee with him, and plans to donate to victims of sexual abuse on the streets.

Rich Kids Go Homeless, tonight at 9pm, 5Star

In other news, this spoilt 21-year-old who said homeless people are "lazy" was reduced to tears after just 24 hours on the street.

And a millionaire who splashed the cash on cars said homeless people should "do more" in Rich Kids Go Homeless last week.

Plus this heiress who jets away seven times a year says homeless people ‘should do more’ and not beg.