Model and healthy living advocate, Jesinta Franklin has today been announced as the face of Cadbury’s new range in a move that’s leaving some with a bad taste in their mouths.
Labelled a ‘flake’ on the front page of the Daily Telegraph, Franklin is facing backlash over the ambassadorship – said to be worth up to $250,000 – with many calling out the model’s supposed conflict of interest.
The former Miss Universe Australia promoted her preference for sugar-free recipes in her 2015 book, Live A Beautiful Life, saying she never keeps soft drinks in the house as "I don’t like to put that amount of sugar in my body".
But speaking to the Today Show, Franklin would also like to remind her critics that, like pretty much every human being, she indulges her sweet tooth with a bit of Netflix and choc.
"See, here's the thing," she told Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson.
"The reason why I thought I got this job with Cadbury was because after every David Jones show I do, every journalist asks me what is it that you do to indulge or unwind or treat yourself and I've always said I enjoy a glass of champagne and a block of Dairy Milk chocolate."
"A block? How big a block? Make us all feel better?" the hosts quipped, to which Franklin replied, "A proper block."
When pushed on how she "can have the abs that [she's] got if [she's] having a block of that on a Friday night", the David Jones ambassador said she's never spruiked a totally sugar-free diet
"I'm gluten free and that's the only thing I've ever said that I totally avoid," Franklin replied.
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— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 30, 2017
"In my book, I write about balance. I love to go out on a Friday night and have a dance, I love to have champagne, I love to have chocolate and when I was growing up, I actually really struggled with eating and body image.