Strictly Come Dancing sensation Sara Davies MBE has been left “gutted” after discovering counterfeit adverts using her image to promote weight loss pills on social media.
The 40-year-old Dragons’ Den star appeared on Morning Live on Monday (January 20) to speak with presenters Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton, issuing a stark warning to her followers about a sham endorsement circulating online.
Sara shared her dismay: “It’s going to be great to chat to you guys but I tell you what, I’m gutted about what we have to talk about but I’m so pleased to be able to get the word out there and let everybody know how real these scams are.”
She recounted the alarming incident: “Yesterday, one of my friends messaged me and said ‘Sara, I don’t know if you’ve seen but these are doing the rounds of social.
“I thought ‘I’ve had this all the time over the years’ but actually I had another friend text me half hour later, and this is the worrying bit, she said: ‘Sara, my mams so excited she didn’t know you’d lost all that weight with some tablets so she’s ordering some.’ I was like ‘don’t do it’.”
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Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies has been used on a fake advert for diet pill (Image: BBC Studios/Simon Pantling)
Sara went on to explain: “It reminded me about a year ago one of my other friends got in touch and said her mum had seen something online about me promoting these weight loss pills that had apparently been in the Den.”, reports .
Her friend’s mother had spent £100 on these pills, sent off the money, and never received anything.
Sara expressed her concern: “I don’t know if thats a good thing or a bad thing because I would have terrified if she did receive these pills and what she would be taking into her body.”
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Sara said she’s ‘gutted’ (Image: BBC)
She has successfully shed three dress sizes and is feeling healthier than ever. In a previous conversation with Prima, she stated: “I’m a big personality and I’m no different when I’m three dress sizes smaller it really doesn’t bother me at all. What does bother me is the health side of it.”
Sara keeps a close eye on her health, and a medical check-up last summer revealed that she has polycystic ovaries, necessitating a reduction in her sugar intake.
“I spent the end of last year cutting our sugar. And when I say cutting out sugar, I don’t just mean I stopped eating chocolate and cake. I stopped drinking fruit juice or eating fruit, and cut down my alcohol intake. It was really just lifestyle changes. I’m not following a fad diet. I’m just understanding how my body processes sugar and I’m making lifestyle changes to support that.”
Morning Live airs weekdays on One at 9.30am