Shaughna Phillips has defended being paid “taxpayer money” to promote the UK’s coronavirus trace app.
A host of Love Island stars were paid to promote the NHS Test and Trace app last month, which informs people when they’ve been in contact with someone with Covid-19.
Shaughna has since revealed she was called a “money grabber” for advertising the scheme on her Instagram.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she said: “It’s not fair. It’s no different to a television advert or newspaper advert…”
“I mean, I’ve worked for the council for four years before Love Island, so I’ve been getting paid by taxpayer money since 2017 and I am a taxpayer.”
Responding to rumours some celebs and influencers were paid up to £20,000 for promoting the app, Shaughna laughed: “If the numbers were as true as they were in the newspapers, I would have done it twice.”
“It’s one of them things where people just like to be outraged. Especially when there’s a face to it and they’ve got someone they can pick on.”
Shaughna continued: “I’m pretty tough-skinned. It’s actually strange. When people troll me for my looks or things like that, things like that don’t bother me.”
“But when they judge my character, it definitely hurts me a lot more. When they were saying I was a ‘money-grabber’ and stuff like that, that definitely hurt me more.”
The news comes after a debate recently sparked online over whether Irish influencers should be paid to promote COVID-19 restrictions.
On this week’s episode of Goss Chats, Goss.ie CEO Ali Ryan chats with award-winning makeup artist and MRS Glam creator, Michelle Regazolli Stone.Â
The celebrity MUA opens up about the ups and downs of living through the pandemic, and how her makeup range saved her.
#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.
