Gemma Collins weight-loss drug advert banned

An Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins which advertised a weight-loss drug and app has been banned.

The star posted: "I'm starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen's weight loss app and medication".

It is illegal to advertise prescription-only weight loss drugs and Ms Collins' was one of nine adverts banned in a crackdown by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Ms Collins told the ASA's investigation she accepted her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app and she would follow guidance in future.

Yazen is a Swedish digital healthcare brand that offers users a doctor-supervised weight-loss programme combining prescription medications with lifestyle coaching.

Ms Collins posted a video advert for the brand to her Instagram on 6 January this year.

In the now-banned advert, Ms Collins describes how Yazen has helped her and stated: "I'm not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS."

Although the advert didn't name a specific weight-loss medication, the ASA said it made references that breached its code.

The ASA said it sought advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which expressed concern that consumers were likely to be led to request a prescription weight-loss medication.

Therefore, the advert was deemed as promoting those medications to the public, breaching ASA rules.

The eight other adverts banned for promoting prescription only weight-loss medications to the public were:

The ASA has ruled that none of these adverts can appear again in their current form.