Stars cash in despite blunders
Taxpayers’ money was given to celebrities to send the test and trace message viral – yet some posted pictures where they appeared to flout social distancing rules.
Love Island stars Chris Hughes, Shaughna Phillips and Josh Denzel were paid to tell their Instagram followers testing is “free, quick and vital to stop the spread”.
Downing Street refused to say how much was spent on the ads.
But a social media expert said the Love Island stars would usually command £5000 to £10,000 for an ad post.
Hughes, 27, told his 2.1million followers on August 14 “getting tested for coronavirus is the best way for us all to get back to doing the things we love”. But days later, he uploaded a snap in Mykonos, Greece, in a hug with snooker star Judd Trump, 31, and celeb chef Salt Bae, 37.
Phillips, 26, posted the ad to her 1.5million Instagram followers on August 17. But her account shows a group photo on July 24 after a night out at a restaurant near Marbella. Spanish rules called for a 1.5metre distance between people and masks to be worn in restaurants, except when eating, smoking or drinking.
Denzel, 29, told his 1.2million followers to be tested to “get back to the good times” – tagging his location “staying at home”. But in April, he was seen in a London park appearing to breach a two-metre rule in force.
A UK Government spokesman said: “Our use of social media influencers has meant over seven million people have been reached. All costs will be published as part of the regular transparency reports on gov.uk.”