Irish singer Sinead O'Connor is appalled by the way the media treats troubled young celebrities like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan - because she sympathises with their plight. In a year that has so far seen Lohan and Spears checking into rehab and Hilton serving jail time for violating probation, the Nothing Compares 2 U singer, who herself became a tabloid target after she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on U.S. TV show Saturday Night Live in 1992, admits she feels for young stars struggling with celebrity.

And she is particularly upset by the media's treatment of Hilton, while the socialite served prison time.

She says, "I kind of feel slightly motherly about it. I think it's horrible the way those girls are treated by the media. I think it's appalling, Britney Spears especially. I've been watching lately the Paris Hilton thing with her being sent to jail and everything, and it's horrible to see how people are treating her, like laughing at her and making a big joke out of it. In Paris Hilton's case - OK, she's famous for being famous - but that doesn't give anyone the right to abuse and humiliate her."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)