Jackie Samuel (29) uses the money made from cuddling with up to 30 men a week, including pensioners and war veterans, to help pay for her studies and provide for her young son.

There are strict rules: the snuggling only takes place in her New York home, and clients are banned from touching parts of her body covered by her underwear, which she wears under her pyjamas. She charges $60 (Rs 3,200) an hour.