A British columnist has been reprimanded by his employer for promoting a designer during coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
Former professional footballer and BBC presenter Alex Scott has recently angered his bosses after tagging British fashion brand Reiss in his studio during the World Cup in Qatar on Instagram. “The practice of promoting commercial deals is frowned upon by the BBC,” writes the Daily Mail, which received a statement from the publication on the issue.
“We have spoken to Alex and he has removed the tag and will not do it again,” a BBC spokesman said.
The post in question shows Scott, who once played for England, sitting at a table in an orange blazer, matching trousers, silk shirt and sparkly heels.
Scott, 38, captioned the December 5 post: “Work with @bbcfootball @bbcsport on Vibing World Cup stuff.”
Scott has been sharing his World Cup experience on social media throughout the tournament. Ahead of England’s Group B match against Iran last month, Scott posted a picture of himself on the pitch wearing a OneLove armband in support of the anti-discrimination campaign.
Players who intend to wear OneLove armbands during the tournament, including England captain Harry Kane, have been threatened with punishment on the field by FIFA.
Apart from Kane, the captains of Denmark, Wales, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, where the OneLove campaign was launched, were all set to wear armbands before abandoning the initiative.
“As national federations, we cannot put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the seven football federations said in a joint statement at the time.
Host nation Qatar has come under constant criticism since winning the World Cup in 2010, largely due to its treatment of migrant workers and a social climate where homosexuality is considered a crime.
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