The husband of A-list lawyer Amal Clooney has spoken out about against human rights abuses in the Darfur region of Sudan, in Burma and Zimbabwe.

He has also thrown his weight behind anti-poverty efforts in the US and abroad.

But when he visited an assisted living facility in the British town of Reading, all the sensationalist, tabloid media wanted to report on was how he put his arm around an 87-year-old woman and wished her happy birthday. They pointed out he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans - even though he is aged 55.

The Associated Press said that Ms Clooney’s husband, George Clooney, arrived with flowers and cards to celebrate the birthday of Pat Adams, said to be a big admirer of his.

A member of staff at the centre, Linda Jones, posted a picture of herself and the pair on Facebook.

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Ms Jones wrote: “The lady in the picture, loves George Clooney and mentions everyday how she would love him to meet him, especially as he lives so near to where I work.”

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A letter was sent to Mr Clooney asking if he could make a “dream to come true”. He owns a home near the facility in Berkshire.

“What was extra special it was her Birthday in the week. He bought a card and a lovely bunch of flowers,” the staff member added.

Amal Clooney recently visited the United Nations in New York to deliver a speech on human rights abuses committed by Isis in Iraq and Syria. Ms Clooney is pregnant, and several media organisations chose to highlight that aspect of the her visit, along her choice of shoes. The Daily Mirror’s headline read: “Amal Clooney is a vision in yellow as she shows off hint of baby bump in chic dress.”