TV and radio personality Danny Baker, the first celebrity evicted from this year’s
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, has been left fuming by his treatment from an “insurance” firm.
The host of a Five Live Saturday morning show was diagnosed with throat and mouth cancer back in 2010, forcing him to give up his job as he struggled with his speech. He ultimately took a £30,000 donation from fellow radio DJ Chris Evans to help him get over his financial struggles.
However, this situation was used by an “insurance” website, according to Baker.
“Some insurance company tried to use me as a cautionary tale. I’m not joking!” he told the
Daily Star on Sunday.
“You’re helpless in the face of that, but it was ‘he seemed to be proud of the fact that he could spend all this money – but then one day he got ill’.”
The radio DJ was in fact responding to an article on the Mortgage Strategy website which appears to promote a variety of mortgage themed products, including protection.
The original article read: “Here is a man in the media spotlight who has a great job, yet he had no contingency plans in place to cope with the financial impact of having a critical illness.
“With three children to support and no savings to fall back on Baker was lucky to have a wealthy friend to support him. But for most people this won’t be the case.
“The fact that Baker wasn’t in a position to fund his shortfall in salary while he battled with the disease might be surprising to many people.
“It just goes to show even celebrities will be struggling to pay for the day-to-day necessities without a financial cushion to fall back on.”
Baker commented that he was “used as a cautionary tale” without his permission – but added that he is healthwise now “good as gold” and repaid Evans the next time he saw him.
Baker has not taken legal action against the website, which has since removed the story.
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