Reality stars and influencers from shows including Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex have been fined thousands for breaking the law while acting as so-called “finfluencers”.
Lauren Goodger, Yazmin Oukhellou, Rebecca Gormley, Biggs Chris, Jamie Clayton, Scott Timlin, and Eva Zapico have all pleaded guilty to the illegal promotion of foreign exchange trading on Instagram.
The celebrities urged their fans to sign up to an account offering foreign exchange trading tips, despite having no qualifications or authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Geordie Shore star Timlin – known as Scotty T – Love Island’s Clayton, and The Only Way Is Essex alumni Oukhellou entered their own guilty pleas to the charge of communicating an invitation or inducement to engage in investment opportunities.
Love Island star Zapico pleaded guilty in October 2024, and another two Love Islanders, Gormley and Chris, admitted the charges against them last year.
Zapico received an absolute discharge and was ordered to pay £1,770 in costs.
Gormley received a conditional discharge with costs of £2,866, and Chris was fined £600.
Goodger shared posts she knew little about
In January this year, The Only Way Is Essex star Goodger appeared in court to also plead guilty and face sentencing.
Reporting restrictions had been placed on their guilty pleas and sentences but were lifted by the court today.
When Goodger was sentenced, she broke down in tears as the court heard how she had made a series of posts in 2020 and 2021 to promote an FX trading tips account she knew little about.
Southwark Crown Court heard she was paid £2,275 for four posts. She had more than 750,000 followers on Instagram at the time, and one of the videos she created and posted had around 35,000 views.
The judge ordered Goodger to pay a £3,750 fine, as well as costs of £5,778.18, telling her the sentence was intended to deter others from breaking strict regulations on financial trading.
