Coronation Street actor appears to take subtle dig at former co-star Catherine Tyldesley after ‘cakegate’ row

•  Daniel Brocklebank posted support for small businesses on Instagram
• Read More: Cakegate baker says requests for freebies are an ‘insult’ 

A Coronation Street star appears to have taken a subtle dig at former co-star Catherine Tyldesley following ‘Cakegate’.

Daniel Brocklebank, 43, who plays vicar Billy Mayhew on the popular ITV soap, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where he posted a cryptic comment.

Actress Catherine came under fire when a small bakery revealed her representatives had tried to score free cake for her birthday – something Catherine denied having any knowledge of.

Three Little Birds Bakery won praise for their response to the PR company who asking for asked for a 40th birthday cake and 100 cupcakes in exchange for exposure.   

Daniel appeared to make his own thoughts on the situation known writing: ‘Support small, family run, local businesses & restaurants as much as possible. ‘

Daniel Brocklebank, 43, appeared to have taken a swipe at former co-star Catherine Tyldesley following ‘Cakegate’

Many rushed to the comments to agree with the actor saying small businesses ‘need us’.  

One person wrote: ‘I agree… it’s the small little bars and Cafes that need us…’

Another said: ‘Totally agree- use them or lose them. Bit like cash!’

While another wrote: ‘Always a nice thing to do.’ 

It comes after Rebecca Severs, from Keighley, who founded Three Little Birds Bakery seven years ago, shared a Facebook post with a screenshot of an email exchange between the bakery and the PR company which represents an unidentified ‘well-known’ celebrity.

The PR firm were asking for a cake for a 40th birthday party in September. They also requested 100 cupcakes and an extra smaller birthday cake for her husband.  

She wrote: ‘This poor celebrity apparently can’t afford to pay people for their products and services. Spare a thought! What happened to women supporting women.’

Many other users were quick to support Rebecca, with one posting: ‘I love love love your reply!!! Scrounges trying to freeload everywhere…good for you.’

Daniel, who plays vicar Billy Mayhew on the popular ITV soap, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to weigh in on the drama

Actress Catherine came under fire when a small bakery revealed her representatives had tried to score free cake for her birthday – something Catherine denied having any knowledge of

It comes after Rebecca Severs, from Keighley, who founded Three Little Birds Bakery seven years ago, shared a Facebook post with a screenshot of an email exchange between the bakery and the PR company which represents an unidentified ‘well-known’ celebrity

The email from the celebrity management team read: ‘We are organising a 40th Birthday Party for a well-known celebrity on the 1st of September 2023 in Manchester.

‘In return for being a supplier for the event, payment would be made in the form of promotion on their socials with over 700K followers, as well as promoted on OK Magazine.

‘They will be crediting all the suppliers on these platforms.’

It continued: ‘The party has a guest list full of celebrities and industry people from tv/film and music, so loads of work would come from it.’

The email went on to outline that the birthday theme has been designed with ‘pinks, sparkles and a touch of flamingos’.

They then requested one birthday cake with the theme ‘camp as tits’, as well as 100 cupcakes.

Finally, they asked for another, smaller, birthday cake because ‘it’s actually her husband’s birthday that day and we wanted to surprise him.’

In response to the email, the bakery said: ‘I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen out on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses for their products.

Many rushed to the comments to agree with the actor saying small businesses ‘need us’

‘Unfortunately, as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment “in the form of promotion on their socials”, and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer.’

Days later, the bakery put another post up on social media saying they have now been ‘threatened’ with legal action and added: ‘I’ve now been threatened with legal action by….as a response to this post which they say is encouraging defamation of their business.’ 

Now, she’s written a message on her website arguing others to support local small businesses.

Rebecca said that asking for freebies is an ‘insult to her’ and that many people ‘don’t value her’.

‘The small business community is overwhelmingly in agreement that this kind of request is detrimental to their businesses – even and especially when they have said yes to giving out freebies or work in exchange for “exposure”,’ she wrote.

‘Most people – small business owners included, but not exclusively of course – are living in times when they are struggling to pay the rent, mortgage, food and energy bills, and any luxuries (such as birthday cakes) have to be scrimped and saved for if at all.’

She added that most people want to ‘support their local businesses’ and ‘value them hugely’

‘We’ve received hundreds of messages from small businesses this week, from the amusing to the devastating on this subject,’ she added.

The email claimed to be from the management company of a ‘well-known celebrity’ who was having a 40th birthday party 

Rebecca emailed the company back, explaining that she would be declining the ‘very generous offer’

‘There’s the street food company who were asked to cater for 30 people for a TV production company for free – for a week – who told them they’d “best ask someone else”.

‘A Cornish bakery told me they were given a one star review recently when a customer asked for, and didn’t receive, a discount.

‘Another guy emailed me to say his company were asked for a free swimming pool once!’

Rebecca added that ‘disturbingly’ there were ‘stories of people whose business had been significantly impacted by making such agreements [free gifts for exposure], including one person whose business was forced to shut down due to the financial loss caused.

She added that one holiday accommodation company told her she was ‘often approached by influences and very minor celebrities asking for freebies’.

The company said that they often deal with ‘real’ celebrities that never ask for a discount and ‘leave a large tip’.

Rebecca added that the impact ‘isn’t just financial’ and ‘pricing for a small business is ‘very difficult’.

‘I know personally at least two sole traders who are afraid to work out their costs because they know they are undercharging,’ she added.

‘Many do not even pay themselves minimum wage, let alone a wage that reflects their skill level. People constantly complain about prices when you work for yourself – because there’s an actual human who’s there to hear it, as opposed to a faceless corporation.

‘Every quote that’s knocked back, every comment that’s made, every time you press the delete button and write a lower number in there – that all adds up to a lot of emotional baggage.’

She added that many bakers ‘aren’t worth what they’re charging’.

‘People don’t value us. I don’t value me. And so the cycle continues. And actually, this deepens the financial impact even more, ultimately.’

‘This short email exchange feels like a microcosm of what we are going through collectively. The rich getting richer, and ordinary people getting poorer.

‘Why should anyone get a freebie when all my clients pay me their hard earned, hard fought for cash to buy our cakes for a special occasion? It’s not only an insult to me and my staff, it’s an insult to our loyal clients.

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