Paying for support ‘is a charity turn off’

NEARLY three-quarters of Britons have said they are less likely to donate money to a charity if it pays celebrities for their support, according to a new survey.

A poll for Channel 4’s Dispatches – which discovered that famous faces would take tens of thousands of pounds to show public support for a charity invented by undercover reporters – found that seven in 10 (71%) UK adults would be put off giving money if it paid stars to back it.

Dispatches found that US reality star and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner and football manager Harry Redknapp both accepted large fees to back a dummy charity, called Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution in Africa (Cuppa).

Celebrity booking agents told the programme that Redknapp would be willing to back the charity but it would cost £15,000 for him to do one post on Instagram and an extra £5,000 for a photoshoot.

Dispatches signed a contract, paid the agency £20,000 and secretly filmed the photoshoot.

One week later, a photograph of Redknapp wearing a Cuppa T-shirt and cap and holding a themed cup was posted on his Instagram page, along with a caption announcing his support. He did not disclose he was paid for the post.

A lawyer for Redknapp said: “Mr Redknapp is a prolific supporter of charity and has raised considerable sums over the years.

“In this case he only agreed to payment after being informed that the charity was supported by private investors... He was paid less than the sum quoted by MN2S (the talent agency).”

The programme also paid talent agency MN2S more than £19,500 for Jenner to take part in a photoshoot and share an Instagram post. In a video filmed on a phone, Jenner speaks in the post about why she is backing the charity.

A lawyer for Jenner said: “Apart from this instance, she has never been paid for her charitable work, and always intended to donate the money raised via the photoshoot and Instagram post to charities she supports ... She feels that she has been targeted in the programme because of her status as a well-known TV personality and that she has been exploited to increase viewing figures.”

A representative for MN2S said they are “regularly approached to undertake one-off fundraising work – as was the case with your fake charity Cuppa”.

“In those instances, we may agree a fee that covers not just the individual but the work of the team that make it possible.”

They added it is “widely known within the charity sector” and “the fee is often heavily discounted from the commercial rate”.

- Celebs For Sale: The Great Charity Scandal is on Dispatches on Channel 4 at 8pm on Monday.