Binky Felstead has once again been called out for her association with freebies.
The Made In Chelsea star, 35, has been at the heart of a social media frenzy regarding her frequent requests for complimentary items, with free goods and services swapped for Instagram exposure.
The furore began last week when Reshmi Bennett, 42, who owns luxury cake business Anges de Sucre, took to social media to claim Binky’s team had requested she make her son Wilder’s third birthday cake in exchange for an Instagram post.
Since the initial reveal, other parties have come forward to show similar messages, with the latest being from upholsterers Daisy Whitehead Designs, with Daisy sharing a message from Binky’s interior designer showing a request for free blinds.
A prestigious interior designer, whose name was redacted by Daisy, wrote in the message that she was designing bedrooms for Binky’s three children for free in exchange for social media exposure and asked Daisy if she would like to arrange a similar exchange if she would agree to make blinds for the rooms.
In the Instagram post from Monday, Daisy overlaid text reading: ‘THIS WAS BACK IN 2023 I SAID NO – HONESTLY DRIVES ME MAD WHEN THESE WEALTHY INFLUENCERS TRY TO GET EVERYTHING FOR FREE FROM SMALL BUSINESSES’.
The original email from Binky’s interior designer read: ‘I hope you are well. My name is [redacted], I am a London based interior designer…
‘I have a returning client in Barnes, South West London, her name is Binky Felstead, an influencer with 1.5 million following, famous for Made in Chelsea show…
‘I am currently redesigning her children’s bedrooms as free collaboration on my end, in exchange for posts, stories which have been fruitful for me in terms of media coverage and on-line presence…
‘This included Hello magazine, OK magazine, posts on Instagram with a wide reach of audience. I am getting in touch to see whether you would be interested in working with us on a similar basis…
‘If you are interested we are looking to install two roman blinds, which need to be slightly wider being installed.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Binky’s representatives for comment.
Following Reshmi’s post, illustrator Alice Peto claimed she was contacted by a member of the MIC star’s team in the lead-up to Binky’s lavish 2022 wedding.
One year on from their civil ceremony at Chelsea’s Old Town Hall, Binky and her husband Max Darnton hosted a huge celebration on the Greek island of Corfu.
Alice shared a screenshot of a 2021 email which read: ‘Thank you so much for your interest in assisting with the illustration for Binky and Max’s wedding invites…
‘The wedding is in Greece and we would be looking for three invitations plus menus, table names and place names. The couple would be looking for the design free of charge in exchange for exposure on their social media accounts…
‘It would be brilliant to understand your style a little better so if you could share any examples of your work that would be brilliant.’
Alice shared a shot of her brief response, in which she wrote: ‘Thanks so much, I’ve been illustrating for 20 years and I’m one of the in-house illustrators for [redacted], so sadly I just can’t do it for free. What fun though, I bet you find someone brilliant. Very best, Alice.’
London-based Alice has had her watercolours featured in the likes of House & Garden Magazine alongside commissions from Harrods and Selfridges.
Alice’s claims follow a now viral post shared on Instagram on Thursday, from baker Reshmi, who shared a collection of screenshots showing exchanges between herself and Binky’s team where she was asked for a free bespoke birthday cake and offered ‘exposure’ as the only form of payment.
Friends of Binky’s have told the Daily Mail’s Katie Hind: ‘She literally has no shame’ in her eagerness to cash in.
Reshmi has previously hit headlines over her fury at influencers requesting free cakes and her social media is full of posts from the baker making it clear she does not accept ‘exposure’ as payment.
But it seems her message was missed by Binky – whose personal assistant asked Reshmi to make a cake for her youngest son Wilder’s third birthday.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Reshmi shared a collection of screenshots showing Binky’s team requesting a ‘gifted’ yellow train cake with an ‘Instagram post collaboration’ in return.
Reshmi went as far as to make a spoof GoFundMe page asking for donations of £1.4million for the cake – in reference to celebrity Binky’s huge online follower count. She is also thought to have a net worth of £1.4million.
Initially when Reshmi shared the screenshots she had redacted Binky’s name from the emails – but ultimately named the star in a later post.
A representative for Binky told the Daily Mail: ‘This was a standard contra enquiry from Binky’s PA, offering social media exposure in exchange for a birthday cake.
