GUILTY UK - TOWIE's Lauren Goodger (37), Geordie Shore's Scott Timlin (36) and 7 other reality TV/Social media personalities charged in "finfluencer" Scheme

[bobbymkii]

Reality stars appear in court charged over risky investment plugs

Nine influencers have been charged by the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) in relation to an unauthorised foreign exchange trading scheme promoted on social media.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[bobbymkii]

I move to nickname this trial the "Everything that's wrong with social media celebrity culture in Britain" trial.

I haven't watched "reality TV" in a long long time, but I did used to watch Geordie Shore, and I never looked at Scotty Timlin and thought "I would definitely make a financial investment if he was paid to promote it!"

JMO

 

[bobbymkii]

The defendants’ dates of birth are as follows:
a. Emmanuel Nwanze (DoB 07/01/1994)
b. Holly Thompson (also known as Holly Zucchero) (DoB 25/05/1990)
c. Biggs Chris (DoB 15/05/1992)
d. Jamie Clayton (DoB 18/11/1991)
e. Lauren Goodger (DoB 19/09/1986)
f. Rebecca Gormley (DoB 18/04/1998)
g. Yazmin Oukhellou (DoB 03/05/1994)
h. Scott Timlin (DoB 26/04/1988)
i. Eva Zapico (DoB 23/07/1998)

Emmanuel Nwanze has been charged with running an unauthorised investment scheme and issuing unauthorised financial promotions.

Ms Thompson, Mr Chris, Mr Clayton, Ms Goodger, Ms Gormley, Ms Oukhellou, Mr Timlin and Ms Zapico each face one count of issuing unauthorised communications of financial promotions.

snipped from this article:

'Finfluencers’ charged for promoting unauthorised trading scheme

The FCA has brought charges against nine individuals in relation to an unauthorised foreign exchange trading scheme promoted on social media.

www.fca.org.uk

 

[SpaceOdyssey]

I too confess to having previously watched Geordie Shore @bobbymkii and I would not buy so much as a packet of sweets from Scotty T

It will be an interesting case though, as it’s not just that they advertised these poor financial products but that they did so to their online audience of young and probably not very financially aware people. The ASA should be taking far more action against influencers. Instagram is full of undeclared ads and bad deals. Watching with interest!

 

[bobbymkii]

Also looking at the DM article in my original post. The article gives a short biography of all of the defendants, and I lost count of the number of them who "now work in real estate in Dubai." That can't be a coincidence!

 

[bobbymkii]

More Not Guilty pleas

Love Island ‘finfluencers’ deny part in unauthorised Instagram trading scheme

Three former Love Island stars plead not guilty to promoting CFDs

www.theguardian.com

 

[bobbymkii]

Trial will not begin until 2027 (yes you read that right, the year of our Lord: Two Thousand and Twenty-Seven!)

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2024/07/11/finfluencers-plead-not-guilty-over-unauthorised-instagram-scheme/

 

[bobbymkii]

Reality stars Lauren Goodger and Yazmin Oukhello admit illegal posts

The reality stars urged their 'significant' number of Instagram followers to sign up to an account offering FX trading tips, Southwark Crown Court heard.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Rikissa]

Article from 20 February 2026:

Seven reality stars and influencers have pleaded guilty to the illegal promotion of foreign exchange trading on Instagram.

Lauren Goodger, 39, Yazmin Oukhellou, 31, Rebecca Gormley, 27, Biggs Chris, 33, Jamie Clayton, 34, Scott Timlin, and Eva Zapico, 27, have all admitted breaking the law when acting as so-called “finfluencers”.

Love Island and Towie stars plead guilty over illegal Instagram finance scheme

Lauren Goodger was among the celebrities who admitted breaking the law

www.independent.co.uk