...and other stars who have been exploited

MARY BERRY isn’t the only celebrity to have had her image hijacked by a company.

MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis’s face has been used to endorse energy products, risky investments, PPI reclaim firms and mortgage brokers.

Mr Lewis took legal action against Facebook in 2018 over its promotion of the scam adverts, but dropped the case last year after Facebook agreed to give £2.5million to a new Citizens Advice project to help tackle such adverts and £500,000 in advertising space.

At the time, Mr Lewis said: ‘When you have spent your entire career trying to help consumers, being accused of scamming is very unpleasant.’

Another company used Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden (pictured) to promote cryptocurrency investments.

The adverts took victims to a webpage where they were ordered to hand over their contact details. They would then be called and persuaded to part with their cash.

Deborah Meaden said: ‘All online advertising should be read against the premise of, “If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is”. Her co-star Peter Jones was also used in advertisements for the same company. He said he was working to have the adverts removed and taking ‘appropriate action’ against the individuals involved.

And photographs of Gordon Ramsay (pictured) were used to promote a fraudulent investment scheme. Fake articles suggested the Scots chef earned £13.5 million by investing in the scheme. A spokesman for Ramsay declined to comment at the time.