Ashley James expressed deep distress upon discovering her image being exploited in a fraudulent weight loss scheme. The 38-year-old former Made In Chelsea personality, known for her commentary on current events on This Morning, was shocked to find out that her likeness was used to promote a false claim of losing nearly two stone in a month.
In a video, a digitally created version of Ashley was depicted sitting on the This Morning set, engaging in a conversation with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. However, Ashley clarified that she never endorsed any such product and emphasized the deception to viewers.
During a recent episode of the ITV magazine show, Ashley shared her dismay, stating, “People were forwarding it to me, but I couldn’t believe it. This is your interview with me on that couch. Isn’t it alarming? That’s not my voice, that’s not your voice, and a company is promoting these weight loss products on social media with false claims.”
Expressing her strong stance against endorsing weight loss products, Ashley highlighted her concern over the exploitation of This Morning’s credibility to deceive consumers.
Ashley is not the sole celebrity whose image has been misused in promoting fake weight loss items. Last year, businesswoman Sara Davies, renowned for her appearances on Dragon’s Den and as the host of the show Time is Money, urged her social media followers to be cautious and avoid falling for such scams.
Sara took to Instagram to denounce the scams, emphasizing the risks associated with purchasing unverified products. She emphasized that while she had undergone significant weight loss without any “magic pill,” people should be wary of fraudulent claims.
Similarly, Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver, who transitioned from her role as Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap to becoming a regular on Loose Women, shared her dismay over people spending money based on false endorsements attributed to her.
During a television appearance, Sue expressed her mortification at the messages she received on social media from individuals who had fallen victim to the scam. She emphasized the lack of safeguards against such deceptive practices, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence.
Both Ashley James and other celebrities highlighted the importance of caution and vigilance in the face of misleading weight loss promotions that exploit their images without consent.