Vicky Pattison and Ercan Ramadan under fire as wedding post 'glamorises smoking'
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Reality TV star Vicky Pattison is under fire after a video taken on her wedding day has been banned for 'glamorising smoking'. The Geordie Shore star, 37, tied the knot with Ercan Ramadan at London's Marylebone Town Hall in August before they held a second ceremony and party in September in Italy.
In October, Ramadan posted a video on Instagram from the couple's wedding day, promoting Endrick Clothing, which he is the director of. The clip features the TOWIE star and seven groomsmen - smoking cigars - with the caption “La Familia (black heart emoji) Groom & Groomsman suited by @endrickclothing”. The same video was shared by Vicky, 37, who is also in the clip in her bridal gown, and has 5.5 million followers, on October 11.
However, after the post was liked and shared by the newlyweds' famous pals, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the clip upheld two complaints and "concluded that the ads were irresponsible". The adverts can still be seen on the couple's Instagram accounts, but the ASA said they "must not appear again in the form complained of". "We considered that the video presented smoking in an appealing manner and suggested that it was part of a glamourous and aspirational lifestyle," the ruling stated.
The ASA also criticised Ramadan for not making it clear the film was an advert and for not responding to its inquiries. "We concluded that the ad was not obviously identifiable as a marketing communication and as such breached the code," it said. "We told Endrick Clothing Ltd and Ercan Ramadan to ensure that future ads were socially responsible, in particular by not condoning or encouraging smoking." Vicky confirmed that any future posts that featured Endrick Clothing would be labelled as ads, the ASA added.
