An influencer famously dubbed "Britain's most hated woman" is once again at the centre of controversy after giving her followers 'advice' on how to save money - following a luxurious, paid-for getaway.
Carla Bellucci, a 42-year-old model and mum-of-four, rose to infamy after she revealed in a 2019 interview with the UK show This Morning that she faked depression in order to receive a £7000 (NZ$14,300) nose job with the NHS, Britain's public health service.
Bellucci, who has since amassed over 160,000 followers on Instagram, now documents her lavish, jet-setting lifestyle on social media, with the model regularly travelling abroad to the likes of Egypt, the UAE and Cape Verde - trips she often enjoys for free as part of paid partnerships with hotels and resorts.
After returning from her latest 10-day getaway, Bellucci has been sharing glamorous promotional photos of her enjoying the Royal Lagoons Resort and Aqua Park in Hurghada, Egypt, as well as boasting of the luxurious activities on offer.
"We are having a blast... we have been deep diving, and we took a trip to Paradise Island on a $5.6 million boat - it beats going round the supermarkets in -1 degrees in the UK," she said.
As reported by The Sun, the 42-year-old also spoke openly about her "personal chef", who "couldn't do enough" to accommodate her during the holiday.
Bellucci also waxed lyrical about the country, adding: "They see how lovely I am in person... You can get a huge apartment for not even a quarter of what it costs in the UK and the sun shines 24/7."
Bellucci, who has since disabled the comments feature on her Instagram, was soon inundated with backlash, with many of her critics calling out her content for being insensitive during a time of financial burden for many - particularly amid Britain's ongoing cost of living crisis.
Hitting back, she reportedly said: "Who gives a shit about the cost of living crisis?
"They can do one. I work hard as a blogger. I have to constantly shoot pictures and videos and I deserve it like anyone else who works hard."
Bellucci then doubled down on her response by offering advice to those struggling to save money amid the rising cost of living, suggesting: "Maybe quit the cans of lager and cigarettes and put the money towards taking your kids on beautiful holidays.
"The ones who come at me are the ones who smoke 50 cigarettes a day," she added, before pointedly claiming: "Egyptians love me and can't do enough for me. I am treated like a real-life queen and it's good to be hated - all the jealous people can jog on."
Later speaking about the criticism on her Instagram Story, she went on: "I've had so much hate, so much trolling, and my life isn't that spectacular. The amount of trolling I've received is ridiculous."
In November, Bellucci also made headlines for declaring she would charge her family £150 each (NZ$306) for Christmas dinner, claiming she shouldn't be left "out of pocket" for hosting a festive meal.
Doubling down on her decision, she explained to the Mail Online: "You might find a carvery that's cheaper than my place, but my dinner is going to be a lot more classy than that. It wouldn't be any cheaper if you went to a restaurant or hotel for a Christmas Day meal, so why should I be out of pocket?"
In 2019, Bellucci was subjected to widespread backlash after she admitted faking depression to get a nose job through the NHS - leading her to be described as the "most hated woman in Britain".
She shared her story on ITV's This Morning at the time, saying: "I'm going to say the truth. I lied but I do work. I was born here, I feel like I've not really done anything wrong."
Despite being branded a "parasite on the NHS" by then-host Phillip Schofield, Bellucci defended her decision and even admitted she wants her daughter, Tanisha, to undergo plastic surgery in the future.
