UK reality TV stars audition to promote fake 'diet drink' containing cyanide in new BBC documentary

We've all seen celebrities and influencers tout weight loss products on our Instagram feeds, often pretending that a skinny tea or 'detox' product was responsible for them losing 10kg. 

It's become so dangerously commonplace, Instagram recently banned any posts promoting 'miracle' diet products. 

But new BBC documentary Blindboy Undestroys the World has exposed just how little influencers actually know about the products they promote. 

In the series, three big-name British reality TV stars - Lauren Goodger and Mike Hassini from The Only Way is Essex, and Zara Holland from Love Island - were prepared to promote a poisonous weight loss drink containing cyanide on their social media pages. 

The fake diet drink was even called Cyanora, in a less-than-subtle indication about the key ingredient. 

In the BBC sting, the stars were all apparently happy to advertise the drink, despite it not even being ready for production. In clips from the show, they even mention the ingredient "hydrogen cyanide", apparently not aware of its consequences. 

Lauren Goodger and her agent
Lauren Goodger and her agent discuss promoting the fake diet drink, in a scene from the new BBC documentary. Photo credit: BBC Three.

Hydrogen cyanide is a deadly chemical, most well known for being used in the Nazi concentration camps during WWII. 

The documentary sparked a response from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who told local station Radio 1: "The issue of whether a celebrity who is promoting a product has actually tried/used it themselves is not something we've had cause to investigate."

In a statement following the airing of the documentary, Love Island star Holland said she "would never deliberately mislead" her followers "or promote a product that was dangerous".

"My agent did state that I would not promote a product without trying it first, and we needed to be provided with more details."

Goodger's former agent also released a statement, claiming they wouldn't endorse the product.

"Our client would not endorse the promotion of products that contained harmful or suspect ingredients, or without knowing the contents.

"Our client was told the product was in production."

Mike Hassini has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment.