In total seven reality stars admitted breaking the law after illegally promoting financial products on Instagram.
18:55, 20 Feb 2026Updated 19:58, 20 Feb 2026
Yazmin Oukhellou, Scotty T at Southwark Crown Court today, Lauren Goodger appeared last month
TV stars including TOWIE’s Lauren Goodger, Geordie Shore’s Scotty T and Love Island’s Rebecca Gormley have admitted breaking the law after illegally promoting financial products on Instagram.
In total seven reality stars – who also included TOWIE’s Yazmin Oukhellou and Love Islanders Biggs Chris, Jamie Clayton and Eva Zapico – pleaded guilty to plugging foreign exchange trading on their personal accounts.
They urged their “significant” Instagram following, built up from their appearances on hit shows, to sign up to an account offering FX trading tips and were acting as ‘finfluencers’, despite having no qualifications or authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Southwark Crown Court heard.
Former Big Brother winner Scotty, 37 – whose real name is Scott Timlin – was paid £900 for three video posts to his 2.7 million followers. He was fined £938 with a £93 victim surcharge.
Georgie Shore’s Scotty T smiled as he arrived at Southwark Crown Court today(Image: PA)
Yazmin Oukhellou also appeared following an investigation by the FCA(Image: James Veysey/Shutterstock)
Laura Miller, representing Timlin, told the court he has earned about £34,000 in the last year, including a £5,500 handout from his mother “to get through the day to day”. She said: “Mr Timlin’s bank statements make clear the lifestyle he lives in the public eye is not the lifestyle he actually does live.”
She said he has some OnlyFans income, but makes most of his money since the end of Geordie Shore in 2019 from appearances at clubs and bars, explaining: “His opening and closing bank balances make for bleak reading.”
Yazmin, 31, was paid £400 to make a post about the scheme to her 550,000 followers on social media. “You were reckless, you lended yourself to a scheme about which you knew nothing and you took no steps to find out about it,” the judge said, ordering her to pay a £974 fine with a £97 victim surcharge.
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Jamie, who was paid £300 for a scripted video post plugging the FX trading advice, was ordered to pay an £820 fine with an £82 victim surcharge. All three were also told to pay £1,000 in costs each.
The judge said the stars were seeking “easy money” explaining: “Regulations are intended to protect the integrity of the financial markets and protect the public from harm.”
Tim Forte KC, for Jamie Clayton, said he had “enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame” after Love Island, and had a short-lived career as an influencer while also returning to his career in recruitment.
Lauren Goodger (right) at Southwark Crown Court in London last month(Image: PA)
Ben Summers, for Yazmin, told the court she believed that the posts that landed her in trouble would be “educational” and help with self-improvement for her largely female fanbase. “She was a young woman who didn’t know any better,” he said. “She is mortified.”
In January this year, TOWIE’s Lauren appeared in court to also plead guilty and face sentencing. 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 racked up around 35,000 views.
Lauren, 39, admitted making the social media posts but insisted “she wouldn’t promote something she didn’t believe was legitimate”.
Prosecutor Catherine Rabaiotti said: “This defendant had achieved media and public interest due to her presence on a reality TV show.” Her posts advertised “amazing deals”, “free signals”, and “consistent profits”, and suggested there was “no experience needed”, the court heard.
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“The defendant was not authorised by the FCA to conduct any regulated activity,” said Ms Rabaiotti. “One member of the public saw a story video from this defendant. It appeared on her Instagram account. She had not heard of Forex trading.”
She said TV star Lauren’s posts on social media “persuaded her” to join the scheme, believing it was legitimate. But the prosecutor said the victim lost £150 of her £250 investment. She said: ““Her attempts at trading did not go well. She was completely naive.”
The judge ordered Lauren 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.
“You have been in the public eye for some time when you committed this offence,” she added. “You must have appreciated the influence lending your name and endorsement would have on members of the public. Your motive in doing what you did was wholly financial.”
Eva, 27, received an absolute discharge was ordered to pay £1770 in costs, Rebecca, 27, received a conditional discharge with costs of £2866, and Biggs, 33, was fined £600.
OPINION
Jamie Downham