Reality TV stars auditioned to 'promote' poison diet drink on Instagram

When scrolling through Instagram, you've probably seen celebrities advertising loads of products like make-up and weight loss drinks.

But do the influencers try the product and check the ingredients they're promoting to their followers?
Not always, according to a BBC investigation.

Mike Hassini appeared on The Only Way Is Essex

Three big name Instagram influencers - Lauren Goodger, Mike Hassini and Zara Holland - have been caught auditioning to promote a poisonous cyanide drink.


The reality TV stars were secretly filmed being asked to promote a fake diet drink in the BBC Three series Blindboy Undestroys the World, despite it not being ready for production.

The made-up drink - called Cyanora - included the ingredient hydrogen cyanide, which is a chemical that can kill you.

The toxic substance was used during the second world war by Nazi Germany in gas chambers.

Lauren, Mike and Zara - who collectively have more than 1.3m Instagram followers - were informed the product wasn't being launched for a few months. They were told they would not be able to drink it until it was.

Zara's agent did point out she couldn't do that without trying it first. We see them film video clips promoting the drink, mentioning the ingredient "hydrogen cyanide".

The undercover filming was part of an investigation by the show into whether celebrities actually use the products they're paid to promote on social media.

According to the advertising watchdog, the brand and the celebrity promoting a product are "responsible for the claims that are made in the advert".

But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told Radio 1 Newsbeat: "The issue of whether a celebrity who is promoting a product has actually tried/used it themselves is not something we've had cause to investigate."

Love Island star Zara Holland said she would never "deliberately mislead" her followers. In response to the investigation, she said: "My agent did state that I would not promote a product without trying it first, and we needed to be provided with more details.