Dame Laura Kenny has been spoken to by the BBC after appearing to promote luxury brands and best AAA Breitling replica watches she wore on air during the Olympics.
The former track and road cyclist fronted the corporation’s coverage of the games from Paris, and posted photographs on social media with perfect Breitling fake watches UK from her time in the studio.
Dame Laura mentioned fashion brands in these social media posts, and also appeared on air wearing £2,000 1:1 luxury Breitling replica watches, a brand that has named her as an “ambassador”.
Now BBC bosses have spoken to Dame Laura to remind her of the rules around promoting products on air, and it is understood that the former cyclist, Britain’s second most successful female athlete, has removed mention of Breitling copy watches for sale from her social media posts.
Several posts featuring photographs of Dame Laura in a dress tagged the fashion brand Reiss, although insiders have said that the former athlete has no commercial ties to the company.
BBC rules state: “No on-air talent should promote products, goods, services or clothing they use on air.
“On-air talent, in any genre, engaged by the BBC must not accept clothing or products free, or at considerably reduced cost, in exchange for wearing or using them on air.
“Nor should they appear on air wearing clothes or using products, goods or services which they have agreed, or been contracted, to promote or in which they have any financial interest.”
It is not clear if Dame Laura purchased the high quality Swiss replica Breitling watches or was given them as gifts.
The BBC rules have come under strain in recent years as more presenters continue to enjoy large social media followings. The corporation has indicated that it regularly reminds presenters – who provide their own wardrobe – to adhere to regulations.
In June, Gary Lineker stopped wearing clothing from his own Next range to present the Euros after at first appearing to flout the guidelines.
The Match of the Day host, who signed a deal with the clothing brand in 2023, led coverage of England vs Serbia in a pale green knitted T-shirt which appeared to be from his Next collection.
In 2018, the BBC said Lineker had made a “genuine mistake” when he breached guidelines by promoting a TM Lewin shirt on Instagram after signing a deal to become the face of the brand.
Alex Scott, the former Arsenal and England footballer turned pundit, was reminded of the rules during the 2022 World Cup after she posted a selfie on Instagram, taken in the BBC studio in Qatar, wearing a suit from Reiss, for whom she was an ambassador.
Ski duo seen wearing brand’s clothes on air
The BBC had further issues with brand exposure and sports coverage in 2022, when Chemmy Alcott and Graham Bell, the Ski Sunday presenters, posted online about their brand of choice.
The two brand ambassadors for Snow Finel were spotted wearing items from the range while on air.
A BBC spokesman at the time said that they too were “reminded of the BBC’s guidelines in relation to commercial conflicts of interest”.
Helen Skelton has been similarly reminded after an appearance on Morning Live. The presenter posted several photographs on Instagram of herself in the show’s Salford studio, tagging fashion, jewellery and cake brands.
Concerns about presenters plugging brands go back a number of years, and in 2013 the BBC was forced to defend Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury, the presenters of Countryfile, after they both wore branded Rab coats on the same programme.
The BBC said that outdoor clothing was needed for the show’s presenters, and sometimes the brand logo of the clothing provided would inevitably be visible.