A NEW breed of celebrity super scroungers has been born – and the extent of their shameless blagging skills is enough to make your eyes water.
Despite making millions in his day-to-day job, former Towie star turned presenter Mark Wright has bagged an obscene amount of goodies – kitting out the home he shares with wife Michelle Keegan in freebies, worth much more than your average annual salary. But Mark’s not the only one – and we can reveal who is raking in the most.
Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s stunning house has involved a few freebies[/caption]
Our crack team of investigators have crunched the numbers and estimated the value of goods these plug-loving stars have successfully nabbed.
And while the rise of social media has given birth to this freebie-loving strain of influencers, us normal folk are sat at home seething with jealousy.
Most stars cleverly pepper their posts with “ad” and “gifted” tags to avoid flouting advertising laws, there’s no escaping the fact it’s big ol’ freebie.
“Celebrity blaggers have turned Instagram into their personal marketplace-scampering around for free dinners, holidays, cakes, and even booze, all in the name of a few likes, ” says PR expert Lynn Carratt.
“Then there’s “cake‑gate,” where Catherine Tyldesley allegedly tried to score cupcakes and a cake for nothing but ‘social exposure’.
“Meanwhile, Katie Price reportedly receives all her plastic surgery while Mark and Michelle Keegan enjoy their house freebies.
“If I was their position, I’d be asking for a few freebies too, but brands seem to be getting wise to giving out freebies to celebrities in return for social media posts.”
But some celebs are clearly better than others at landing something for almost nothing – with Mark Wright easily topping the leaderboard as he reaps the benefits and relishes the windfall.
Mark Wright
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £500,000
The famous couple both have very healthy pay cheques thanks to their telly and radio work[/caption]
Mark Wright is one of the all-time star scroungers.
The TOWIE legend and his actress wife Michelle Keegan have a beautiful £3.5 million country pile near Brentwood, Essex, and he loves to boast about their latest mansion modifications on socials.
The couple have a dedicated Instagram account, Wrighty Home – which boasts more than 665,000 followers – just to show off their latest home improvements.
And Mark, who married Michelle in 2015, made no secret of wanting a helping hand with his projects, even asking companies to get in touch on some posts.
On one occasion he brazenly asked: “Any glass company’s that can do bespoke like this please let us know. Inbox us. Thanks.”
Mark decked out his dining room in an array of PR gifted items in November 2022, writing on Instagram: “All furniture for this room is @olivias.uk from table, to chairs, art and main light, lamps and sideboard too.
“The rug is by @luxuryrugcompany, Picture light @chantelle.lighting, Curtains @curtainfactoryoutletlondon, Flooring @v4woodflooring, Black internal Doors @doorluxuk #prproducts”.
More recently, Wrighty also bigged up a garden products company and four of their shiny new tools. So desperate to prove he has green fingers, he followed the post up with another boasting about his robot lawnmower – leaving his jealous followers furious.
Mark’s time saved mowing the lawn also appears to be well spent blagging items for inside the home.
The reality TV star tagged in a staircase designer when showing off his “mind-blowing” stairs, and he was “so happy” with his “beautiful” bathroom tiles, which were “all chosen from @tilegiantofficial”.
A panelling company was also plugged for Mark’s recent gym upgrade, and while some may have been paid ads, or a helpful company mention, Mark clearly has it made on his dream home’s own Instagram.
He even fed his workers with a blagged McDonald’s food truck in January 2022.
Michelle’s Brassic character Erin Croft would be hugely envious of her real-life significant other’s scrounging skills, but she has history, too.
Mark and Michelle wed in May 2015, and a month later the happy couple included no less than 38 plugs for wedding freebies in a Hello! magazine interview and a blog post by Michelle.
These included “spectacular flowers by Interflora” and a Rolls Royce wedding car arranged by Park Ward Carriage Company, which is based on the borders of Mark’s native Essex“, as well as company mentions for dresses, shoes, and jewellery.
Katie Price
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £150,000
As well as surgery, Katie Price has had a number of items for her home[/caption]
Boob jobs, bum lifts, cheek fillers, lip fillers, dental procedures, and a Brazilian butt lift – you name it, Katie Price has had it done.
But the reality TV star’s numerous cosmetic surgeries have hardly made a dent in her purse.
While some pals have grown concerned about Katie’s penchant for going under the knife, the star wishes she had accepted even more surgery subsidies.
Speaking to Rob Moore on the Disruptors podcast, she said: “Considering I’ve got an open book, like you’re in a restaurant. I can have any surgery I want from most clinics, I don’t take advantage of it as much as I could.
“If I did and really let myself go, I’d look like an alien, and I don’t want to look like an alien.”
As well as her cosmetic gifts, KP also advertises CBD oil on her social media, admitting recently it helped her to sleep better after one of her bum operations.
Jess Wright
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £52,000
Just like brother Mark, Jess Wright can’t turn down a freebie[/caption]
Like her brother and fellow former TOWIE star Mark, Jess Wright also has a home-dedicated Instagram account to boast about her plush pad’s latest additions.
Jess – whose estimated net worth is more than £2 million – has shared ads for the “quality” carpets across her house, and she also received a discount for her “gorgeous” wardrobes.
She posted on Instagram: “These are the wardrobes we chose for the end of our master bedroom @hammonds_uk in style ‘Clivedon’ , colour ‘praline’ with these gorgeous antique brass knob plates. *prdiscount”.
Marnie Simpson
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £40,000
Geordie Shore star Marnie Simpson has had a number of gifted home improvements[/caption]
Like Jess, former Geordie Shore star Marnie Simpson has an account for her home renovations at her and her husband Casey Johnson‘s Marcey Manor.
The couple, who forked out £1.5 million on the seven-bedroom pad, recently upgraded a shower in their home, and a couple of years ago the pair revealed their “unreal family bathroom”, complete with company plugs aplenty for their tiles, plumbing, electrics, tiling materials, and more.
Laura Anderson
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £35,000
While social media users were full of praise for Marnie’s marvellous bathroom upgrade, some hit out at former Love Island star Laura Anderson after she flooded her Instagram account with several snaps of her and footballer boyfriend Clark Robertson’s luxury trip to the Maldives.
TV personality and brand ambassador Laura revealed the holiday had been gifted to her, sparking fury among her followers.
One wrote: “I don’t understand society! I mean, I get it I get why companies give free holidays like this to promote, but imagine if they allowed people who wouldn’t normally experience these types of things and let them promote on social media.
“Like underpaid nurses, doctors paramedics firemen and women the people that put out so much into society.”
But some defended the star, insisting it is her job.
One Instagram user commented: “It’s called a PR stay. It’s her job, she has over 1.5 million followers she is able to promote this to. It’s how she earns a living.”
While brands like using influencers to promote such posts, some social media users are fed up of such content filling up their feeds.
PR expert Lynn Carratt added: “Brands are starting to use influencers in their niche whose followers will be highly engaged with the products they are promoting.
“Also audiences have started to become sceptical with these lifestyle posts from celebrities because they lack authenticity and it’s obvious they have just received a freebie.”
Gemma Owen
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £25,000
Social scrollers also claimed another ex-Love Island star, Gemma Owen – the daughter of former England footballer Michael Owen, who has an estimated net worth of more than £50 million – had scored an own goal by showing off her cottage renovation on Instagram recently.
Gemma unveiled her revamped home to fans in February, admitting she was “so happy with the glow up“, and tagged in the Yorkshire-based design company.
However, her inclusion of the “ad” label – to comply with advertising laws – appeared to enrage some fans.
One posted: “It’s beautiful..I can’t get my head around those being more than able to afford it being given it for free, can still so the #ad but give it to someone who is trying their best to get their home sorted.”
Another commented: “It’s the same with all famous not just her there’s no point saying it as they won’t pay miss nobody to mr nobody to advertise for them.
“So yeah it is annoying but it happens why does that one person deserve it over thousands of others trying just as hard either if you put it like that everyone is trying their best what makes say you deserve more than the lady next door ??” they continued.”
One Instagram user wrote: “It’s life unfortunately money goes to money.”
Jacqueline Jossa
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £20,000
Jacqueline Jossa has had everything from holidays to kids’ toys[/caption]
The EastEnders actress isn’t short of cash thanks to her soap role[/caption]
EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa is also no stranger to an ad tag.
The Lauren Branning star turns into Lauren Blagging in her personal life, and she loves to show off her collaborations on Instagram.
Jacqueline is one of many celebrities who have promoted Jet2 holidays on her socials, and her children, Ella, 10, and six-year-old Mia – who she shares with TOWIE star Dan Osborne – have been the lucky recipients of a Barbie Dreamhouse and some new Barbie dolls, among other goodies, thanks to her Insta blags.
Billie Faiers
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £19,000
Billie Faiers might have her own pool, but she also got given a hot tub[/caption]
Billie Faiers is also estimated to have blagged around five figures-worth of gear.
Like her fellow former TOWIE stars Mark and Jess Wright, Billie also has a home account on Instagram – and she has kitted her property out with a glitzy chandelier, a luxury carpet cleaner, and some “gorgeous” decorative prints.
What’s more, Billie and family spent the summer relaxing in their Lay-Z Spa, but her ad post about the hot tub made a splash after she described the outdoor addition as “perfect affordable luxury“.
One social media user wrote: “They don’t realise how lucky they are! Why don’t they gift it for free not like they need it. Wish it was affordable”
Another posted: “Most people can’t afford to heat their hot tubs any more.”
In the video, the spa was situated just in front of Billie’s outdoor pool, which sparked a frustrated reaction from some followers.
One wrote: “Pool not good enough for kids.”
Another wrote: “Affordable. Promoting a free gift they got with their big swimming pool right next to it!”
Jack P. Shepherd
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £10,000
Jack P Shepherd has made no secret of his love of freebies[/caption]
Coronation Street legend Jack P. Shepherd – who has portrayed David Platt since 2000 – is used to stepping foot on the cobbles, but he was in the market for a heavily discounted carpet recently.
Earlier this year, a social media user – who is a manager at flooring specialists Carpetright – claimed soap star Jack fled the store after being refused money off.
They wrote on X: “We once quoted for new bedroom carpets for him.
“He expected a large discount because he was an actor on Corrie. I refused so he went elsewhere.”
Wannabe scrounger Shepherd went on to marry his wife Hanni Treweek in July, in a glitzy ceremony at Manchester Cathedral – and he even appeared on, and won, Celebrity Big Brother‘s 24th series in April to help pay for their nuptials.
An insider recently told The Sun: “Jack makes good money but it’s no secret that the CBB money is a draw for anyone, especially if you are planning a big event.”
Lauren Goodger
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £3,500
Lauren Goodger has had her fair share of freebies over the year[/caption]
Former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger is also a fan of a freebie, including a relaxing overnight stay at Greenwoods Hotel & Spa in Essex, which she was gifted in June.
Like her ex Mark Wright, Lauren has also spruced up her home with several scrounges.
Last year, she had new luxury kitchen taps fitted, which distribute sparkling water, boiling water, chilled and ambient water, as well as the usual hot and cold for us mere mortals.
Lauren has also promoted some cleaning products online, but this sparked trolls to dirty her Instagram comments.
One blasted: “The house she did not pay for, oh yes she pays for f**k all. god help her when her kids are older and she can not milk men for money due to them”
Another wrote: “Why do we need to see you cleaning ??we know how to clean love !”
One posted: “Blimey times are tough hey”
Dani Dyer
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £700
Former Love Island champion Dani Dyer won £25,000 when she triumphed in the 2018 series of the ITV2 dating show.
But that didn’t stop the star scrounging a bag of goodies from a skincare brand to gift to her bridal party on her wedding day.
She married West Ham United footballer Jarrod Bowen, who earns a reported £150,000 a week for the Hammers.
Catherine Tyldesley
ESTIMATED FREEBIE TOTAL: £2,000
Catherine Tyldesley famously tried to blag a birthday cake[/caption]
It may not be a half a million scrounge, but Catherine Tyldesley’s alleged ‘Cakegate’ scandal has gone down in celebrity blagging history.
The Coronation Street star hit headlines two years ago when she was accused of trying to blag free birthday cakes – which she insisted she knew nothing about.
It came about when Rebecca Severs, owner of West Yorkshire bakery Three Little Birds, shared an email from a company organising a 40th birthday bash for an unidentified star – later revealed to be Catherine – asking for a 40th birthday cake, 100 cupcakes and an extra smaller birthday cake for her husband in return for exposure.
Rebecca wrote back: “I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses their products.
“Unfortunately as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment ‘in the form of promotion on their socials’, and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer.”
Catherine took to Instagram to insist she had “no idea” about the emails.
She wrote: “Cakegate. What? Um, utterly bizarre, I don’t really know what to say. I mean, I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving.”