Is UK celebrity culture less damaging than in the US?

Celebrities in the media

It's not often that we see celebrity breakdowns in the UK become such a big media event. The rise and fall of Justin Bieber is one such example of how a young star has spiralled downwards with mounting media pressure and wide-spread industry analysis and reporting on it. The same goes for American celebs like Charlie Sheen who had an epic meltdown in 2011 and couldn't get out of the media (although he wanted to be in the limelight.)

Then last year, Alec Baldwin's tweets and commentary become such an event he lost his MSNBC show from the controversy. Lindsay Lohan was also singled out and her life became a media story with no end. Most recently, Shia LaBeouf become the centre of controversy and attention, and gained attention in the UK press but does that same approach apply here?

Celebrity gossip is nothing new but the way celebs are covered, followed, reported on, is less aggressive in the UK than in the states, particularly Hollywood. The News Corp scandal was certainly well covered. The BBC Jimmy Savile revelations were a national subject, but individuals involved in those scandals weren't pursued to the same degree. Is it just not our way of doing this or is page 3 more of a delight?