Mary Berry fights back tears on ‘Watchdog’ this evening (22.07.20), as she reveals CBD scammers use her image to sell products.
The 84-year-old culinary queen was left distressed after learning a company had used her image to endorse cannabis oil supplements and face creams without permission, leading fans to pay hundreds for the goods.
Asked what she knows about CBD oil, Mary tells ‘Watchdog’ host Matt Allwright: "I know nothing about it. It is nothing to do with me. And there’s nothing I can do.
"I had polio when I was a child and because I’ve got a bit of a wonky hand, they think it’s arthritis and perhaps this is the cure."
Fans were lured to the products with ads on Facebook which saw edited photographs of Mary holding the them.
After learning of the fake images, Mary complained to Facebook and the photographs were soon taken down, but it was too late for some of her fans who had already paid up to £200.
Mary added: "I was just absolutely shattered."
The celebrity chef will return to television screens later in the year with her latest BBC Two show, ‘Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts’, which will see her serve up some simple dishes as she visits some of the nation’s hot spots.
Mary took to the road for the six-part series – which was filmed prior to the coronavirus pandemic – to whip up a range of simple dishes on offer in the UK and abroad.
Catherine Catton, BBC Head of Commissioning, said: "Now, more than ever, home cooking is central to daily life and Mary Berry’s take on comfort food is exactly what we all need."