ITV have apologised to TOWIE star Ferne McCann after using a picture of her baby daughter Sunday during an ITV News segment about cot death. The snap which was used without consent, is the one Ferne chose to announce the birth of her baby girl back in November. The picture shows Sunday at just a few days old in a white babygrow with a crown logo embroidered on it. Although the image does not show the newborn's face, it is clear that ITV took the picture from the star’s Instagram page.
The snap in question was used last month during a lunchtime news programme on ITV to illustrate the results of a cot death study. The broadcaster has now apologised for the use of the image, with a spokesperson for ITV telling Digital Spy: "ITV News took swift action as soon as we were notified by Ferne's team of the error. We're sorry if any upset was caused to Ferne and her family."
The picture used by ITV is the one the star used to announce the birth of her baby daughter
According to the website, ITV have also taken steps to immediately remove the picture from any further news programmes and ensure it is not used again.
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Last month Ferne was said to have been left "shocked and upset" after discovering the image was used without her knowledge. According to the Sun newspaper, she found it particularly upsetting given the upsetting and tragic topic the photographed was used in great
Ferne with her daughter Sunday
The 27-year-old announced her pregnancy last April, just days after her former boyfriend Arthur Collins was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following an acid attack in London. Speaking about her pregnancy on This Morning, Ferne said she was feeling "positive" about the future and planned to raise her child alone.
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"It's been such a stressful, surreal situation to be in. But I'm actually feeling good and positive. Because I'm pregnant, I think that has given me strength and hope to get through this," Ferne told her hosts. "This isn't how I imagined my first pregnancy to be. It's not about what happened. It is about this baby. My main… I'm going to be strong, I'm going to try and keep it together. I really don't want to cry. My main concern and priority is the baby."