Binky Felstead, star of Made in Chelsea, has found herself at the centre of controversy after being called out by a bakery owner for allegedly asking for a free cake in exchange for an Instagram post for her son Wilder’s third birthday. 🎂🎉
Reshmi Bennett, 42, owner of the luxury London cake business Anges de Sucre, has previously spoken out about influencers requesting freebies. She took to social media to share her frustration after Binky’s personal assistant reached out for a “gifted” yellow train cake for Wilder’s big day, offering an Instagram post as payment in return. 🚫🍰
The Cake Controversy 🎂
In a series of posts on Instagram, Reshmi shared screenshots of her communication with Binky’s team, showing the request for a “collaboration.” “Yellow train cake! We would also be interested in collaborating [redacted], who has 1.4million Instagram followers,” the email read. 📧
Reshmi, who made it clear in previous posts that she doesn’t accept “exposure” as payment, was left disheartened by the request. She jokingly created a GoFundMe page asking for £1.4million in donations to cover the cost of the cake, referencing Binky’s substantial social media following. 🤑💸
‘It Hits Different When It’s Your Daughter’ 😡
Rather than responding with a sassy remark, Reshmi expressed her disappointment, noting Binky’s “wealth” and suggesting that paying for the cake would be a better look. Binky’s team later replied, acknowledging that Reshmi made a “valid point about optics” and promised to speak to Binky about whether they were willing to pay for the cake. 🎂💬
Binky’s team insisted that they never intended to grab a free cake and explained that her Instagram content, which heavily features her children, generates significant engagement that could benefit businesses. “Binky’s Instagram content is hugely focused around her children, and she gets a lot of engagement from this sort of content,” they said. 🤳💕
The ‘Sassy’ Response That Wasn’t 😏
Reshmi, who has always been vocal about the issue of freebie requests, was originally going to respond with a cheeky reply but chose a more measured approach. “We were genuinely thrilled about the cake request, but we simply cannot accept Instagram tags as payment,” she shared. She humorously added: “Our energy supplier insists on payment in actual money, not Instagram exposure.” 💸⚡
Following the exchange, Reshmi’s GoFundMe page went viral, with fans and followers mocking the idea of paying for a cake through “exposure.” “If each of Binky’s 1.4 million followers contributed just £1, we could create the most incredible yellow train cake imaginable,” she joked. 🎉😂
Celebrities and Free Cake Drama 🍰
Binky isn’t the only celebrity to face backlash over free cake requests. Last year, Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley was embroiled in a similar scandal when her birthday cake was requested in exchange for “promotion” on social media. 🥳
Despite the controversy, Binky’s team remained insistent that their goal was never to “grab a freebie” but instead to create a mutually beneficial collaboration. “We just wanted to offer something in exchange for the cake,” they explained. 🤝
A Bittersweet Lesson for Influencers 📝
This incident highlights the growing tension between influencers and small businesses. While some argue that social media promotions are a valid form of payment, others, like Reshmi, believe that businesses should be compensated fairly for their work. The cake saga is a reminder that in the world of online influence, sometimes the price of exposure is more than just a sweet deal. 🍰👀
