EIGHTIES star David Van Day has been ridiculed for going on a tour of nursing homes.

However, the Brighton singer has hit back arguing he wanted to perform to the residents as his own mother had Alzheimer's disease.

The singer, who appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2008, added: "It's our way of giving something back, and so to get ridiculed for it is quite disgusting really."

Earlier this month the 58-year-old Dollar star was pictured performing in a care home in Northamptonshire.

Following which stories appeared in the national newspapers in which he was ridiculed for his performance.

The Daily Mail reported: "Despite him performing a medley of some of the biggest hits from the past few decades, some of the residents apparently drifted off to sleep."

The newspaper went on to quote one of the residents, who did not want to be named, who branded the situation "embarrassing".

They said: "He didn't sing any of his old songs, just 50s and 60s classics. Some of them looked interested for a bit but there were a few residents who just nodded off.

"Resorting to playing to some old dears in their care home must be a career low for the chap. It's a far cry from his Dollar days. It was a bit embarrassing."

However, Fearn Upton, customer service manager at the care home, told the paper he was "brilliant".

The home's receptionist helped arrange the event because she had been a big fan of Dollar.

Born in 1956 in Brighton, he shot to fame starting out in pop band Guys 'n' Dolls.

He hit the big time when he started new band Dollar and they had several top ten hits in the UK, including Love's Gotta Hold on Me and Give Me Back My Heart.

The singer then had something of a fall from grace and declared himself bankrupt before selling fast food in Brighton, a career move which earned him the nickname Burger Van Day.

In 2007, he unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative candidate for Brighton and Hove City Council in East Brighton ward before a year later entering the jungle for a stint on I'm A Celebrity.

Speaking about his care home appearance on ITV's This Morning, he said:: "There's no fees, there's some expenses paid, but we just thought we were doing a good turn, and then we get ridiculed."