Coronation Street star addresses ‘bizarre’ row over bakery request

A former Coronation Street star has responded after being embroiled in a “bizarre” birthday cake row.

It was claimed earlier this week that management company Nvrlnd, hired to plan the 40th birthday party for the previously unnamed actor, requested free cakes in exchange for promotion on social media and in magazines.

Rebecca Severs, who owns Three Little Birds bakery in Keighley, West Yorkshire, wrote on Facebook: “In return for being a supplier at the event, payment would be in the form of promotion on their socials with over 700,000 followers, as well as promoted in OK magazine.”

Severs’s response went viral on social media. Upon being asked for her thoughts, the bakery owner wrote: “I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses for their products .

“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. Those are my thoughts.”

It was then revealed by the Daily Mail that the star in question was Coronation Street actor Catherine Tyldesley, who played Eva Price in the ITV soap from 2011 to 2018. She also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2019.

Spotting her name in the press, Tyldesley addressed the viral emails in an Instagram post titled: “Cake Gate – The Truth.”

She wrote: “This story driven by the Daily Mail has gotten out of control and it’s negatively impacting a lot of wonderful people, so I need to set the record straight. I had no idea those emails were being sent. I would never ask anyone to work for free or provide product for free.”

Speaking directly to her followers in a video, the actor, who said she is receiving “horrendous” abuse online, said that Nvrlnd had been “completely misrepresented in this matter”, calling the row “utterly bizarre”.

Tyldesley added: “I mean I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving whilst I’ve got journalists knocking on my front door while my kids are playing in the front room. Dead nice that, babes.”

Nvrlnd’s founder Victoria Eames said in a statement that the email to Severs had been “completely misconstrued”>

She said: “NVRLND contacted Three Little Birds Bakery to offer them the opportunity to collaborate with one of our clients to cater for a party. As part of the collaboration, our client would cover all of Three Little Birds Bakery’s expenses and costs in exchange for social media content and local and national exposure for their business. To confirm, Nvrlnd are also retained on the same expenses-only basis.

“We selected Three Little Birds Bakery to collaborate with a view to support a local business and help them grow. Our aim is to connect small local businesses with the opportunity of growth and the possibility of a full diary which is what we have experienced when working on past collaborations. We would never expect any business to be out of pocket and nor would our client.”

She continued: ‘Our email communication to Three Little Birds has unfortunately been completely misconstrued. Due to contractual obligations, we are unable to comment on the identity of our client.”