The Crown stars unveil giant statue of homeless man outside King’s Cross Station

A giant statue of a homeless man outside King’s Cross Station has been unveiled by the stars of this season of the Crown Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce.

The 4.3 metre sculpture named Alex was commissioned by homlessness charity Crisis to convey “homelessness can’t be ignored any longer.”

Advanced face mapping technology combined the features of 17 people experiencing homelessness for the sculpture, which was created by artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata.

With people experiencing homelessness being ignored everyday the 2.5 ton sculpture stands as a visible testament to the hundreds of thousands experiencing the worst kinds of homelessness

Speaking at the unveiling of the sculpture, Crisis Ambassador Staunton commented: “The intention of this incredibly lifelike sculpture is simple: homelessness cannot be ignored any longer.

“As a nation we need to do better and this Christmas, we can all be part of that change.

“This installation stands as a testament and a rallying cry, we cannot sit idly by and watch the situation worsen.”

Chief executive of Crisis, Matt Downie, said: "300,000 households face homelessness next year if the UK government doesn’t change its course. It’s that simple.

"As a country, we are going through a difficult time but we can’t ignore the mounting pressure that is building on low income households as they struggle under the weight of price rises they cannot afford."

The event comes as new research from the charity suggests on any given night in 2023, more than 300,000 households in England, Wales and Scotland could be at risk of experiencing homelessness, if current policies and economic circumstances continue.

The research, conducted by Heriot-Watt University, defined homelessness as including sleeping on the streets, sofa surfing, and living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation

The estimate, that on any given night in 2023, 300,000 households could be experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, is up from 227,000 in 2020, an increase of 32%.

Recent figures (October 2022) from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) also show a sharp rise in rough sleeping across London, with 3,628 people sleeping rough from July - September 2022.

This is an increase of 24% compared to the same period last year

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities spokesperson said: “Tackling homelessness remains a priority for this government. That’s why we have provided an extra £50m to support vulnerable people over the winter.

“We have also given £316m to councils to ensure families are not left without a roof over their heads, introduced the Energy Price Guarantee to help with bills over winter, and provided payments of £1,200 to millions of vulnerable people.”

Alex will be in Kings Cross for two days, surrounded by QR codes which direct people to the website and opportunities to donate to Crisis, before moving to the Birmingham Bullring from December 8 to 11.