Harry Redknapp and Caitlyn Jenner accepted thousands of pounds to promote a fake charity set up by Channel 4 in a sting operation.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was paid £20,000 to back a group called ‘CUPPA’, which stands for Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution in Africa.
In the Dispatches documentary that will air tomorrow evening, Mr Redknapp is found to be part of the widespread practice of paying celebrities for public support.
Representatives for the 73-year-old told undercover journalists he would be happy to help and would back the fake charity at a cost of £15,000 for one Instagram post and £5,000 for a photoshoot.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was paid £20,000 to back a group called ‘CUPPA’, which stands for Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution in Africa
The programme signed a contract, paid the agency £20,000 and secretly filmed the photoshoot.
One week later, a photograph of Redknapp wearing a CUPPA T-shirt and cap and holding a themed cup was posted on his Instagram page.
He wrote: ‘I’m proud to support CUPPA – a great new charity that’s Clearing Up Plastic Pollution in Africa. Follow them on insta to show your support.’
He did not disclose that he was paid for the post.
A spokesman for Harry Redknapp said: ‘As everyone knows, Harry does a massive amount of work for Charities big and small, and has done for many years, which he doesn’t charge for.
Harry Redknapp is crowned King of the Jungle and is joined by wife Sandra Redknapp ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ TV Show, Series 18, Australia – 09 Dec 2018
He is disappointed that he was deceived into believing that private investors wanted to engage his services, and would not have accepted payment if he had been told this was being paid for by the charity in question.
‘Harry’s 2019 theatre tours raised over £160,000 for charity, and is doing the same again this year.
‘Harry is shocked and upset that he was misled in this way and is donating the money he was paid to the charities he works with so that it can be put to good use.’
Caitlyn Jenner accepted a large fee to back a charity set up by undercover reporters
The programme also paid MN2S more than £19,500 for Jenner to take part in a photoshoot and share an Instagram post.
In a video filmed on a phone, Jenner speaks about why she is backing the charity, saying: ‘I think we have to be good stewards of this planet. And the plastic issue is huge.
‘And, you know, not that it’s easy to do, but it can be done, is to clean the beaches up, clean areas up, especially plastics because they don’t go away. And we need to be good stewards. And it is something that we can fix.’
Jenner posted a photograph of herself wearing a CUPPA T-shirt and holding a CUPPA cup on her Instagram the next day, but did not make clear she was paid.
A lawyer for Jenner said: ‘It is well known to the public that sometimes celebrities are paid fees for doing promotional work for charities.
‘The benefit is mutual… Apart from this instance, she has never been paid for her charitable work, and always intended to donate the money raised via the photoshoot and Instagram post to charities she supports… She feels that she has been targeted in the programme because of her status as a well-known TV personality and that she has been exploited to increase viewing figures.’
The programme also paid MN2S more than £19,500 for Jenner to take part in a photoshoot and share an Instagram post
A representative for MN2S said: ‘Many of the celebrities that MN2S work with undertake charity work for free. In addition, they are regularly approached to undertake one-off fundraising work – as was the case with your fake charity CUPPA. In those instances, we may agree a fee that covers not just the individual but the work of the team that make it possible.
‘This is widely known within the charity sector. Charities book celebrities because it raises their profile and helps them often raise far more money than the amount paid to the celebrity. The fee is often heavily discounted from the commercial rate, as was the case with the celebrities we work with and CUPPA.’
Another talent agency approached in the programme, Champions plc, said: ‘The vast majority of our charity engagements are free of charge.
‘Over the last three years, Champions has given more than 10% of its annual profits to charity.
‘When approached undercover by Dispatches, we believed that the brief was to help raise the profile of an unknown charity that wished to engage celebrities to perform at a private launch event funded by private benefactors.
‘It would be wrong to conclude that all those named would have been aware that they were even under discussion.
‘Champions are a responsible organisation and will of course watch the programme carefully. Should it raise any concerns we will investigate and take action where appropriate.’
A Dispatches spokesman said: ‘Last year Dispatches was tipped off that some celebrities are charging charities large sums of money for their support.
‘One British Hollywood star was offered for £60,000 – for just one appearance at a charity ball – and £200,000 to be filmed on a ‘fact-finding’ trip.’
Celebs For Sale: The Great Charity Scandal is on Dispatches on Channel 4 at 8pm on Monday