I am writing this just before I venture out to meet Dame Barbara Windsor, who is switching on our local Christmas lights. I have known Barbara for many years and she is a genuine people person and always cares about her fans and the public. I could name a few stars with a different attitude but this is the season of goodwill.

I have just read that the four judges and the two presenters of Strictly Come Dancing , filmed at Elstree, are all multi millionaires from their various showbiz activities.

I think if I were an alien visiting this world i would find it hard to grasp why we so richly reward entertainers, including footballers, whilst not really caring about people such as nurses, care workers and social service employees whom we actually need.

I was saddened to read that the 'celebrities' who appear on Pointless, also shot at Elstree, are often paid between £5,000 to £10,000 whilst usually winning a couple of hundred quid for their chosen charity. Am I mad or should that be the other way round ?

Of course there is nothing new in the huge amounts of money that swirls around showbiz . When my late Mother was born in 1917 the legendary Charlie Chaplin was earning per week more than my pension per year almost 100 years later.

Hollywood always was a big payer compared with here in the UK but you can certainly earn a fortune nowadays even in old blighty. John Mills told me when his star power was at it's height in the 1950s and 1960s he was crippled with tax payments of up to 90 per cent of his earnings but chose to stay. When Jack Hawkins died in the early 1970s he left an estate of about £12,000 after having starred in scores of movies like The Cruel Sea, Ben Hur and Bridge On The River Kwai.

By contrast Ronnie Corbett, who died last March, left an estate of £3.5 million to his family.

I know celebrities who would charge £5,000 appearance fee to open a fridge and people will pay it. The early winners of Big Brother could earn up to a million pounds in deals afterwards, but for what talent?

Back between 1980 and 1982 I asked some well known names of that era to support me by attending an evening with sessions at Maxwell youth centre in Borehamwood. Along came boxing champ Alan Minter, then Doctor Who Peter Davison, England and Spurs player Glenn Hoddle, Blue Peter's Peter Duncan and Star Wars Luke Skywalker Mark Hamill. I said this is going to be for free and they all agreed. What are the chances I would get away with that today?

However, the reality is we now live in a time when celebrity is everything and often instant. The word star has become meaningless and careers come and go without me often noticing. By contrast, Dame Barbara has earned her star status and still gives her time freely, which I guess is why I always admire her.

Okay I am jealous as the gravy train always passed me by and heck, they have not even paid me for writing this column since 2008, but who cares? I must sign off now as my masseur has arrived and I am sending this from my beach chalet in the Bahamas. Those damn breaking waves in the lagoon and the swaying palm trees are such a distraction. Until we meet again next week, look after yourself.