Former Made in Chelsea star Andy Jordan has spoken out about the toxic realities of being a social media influencer.
In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, the 29-year-old recalled how he was once asked to lie about going to the gym in order to advertise a protein supplement on Instagram.
"I was like, 'This is insane', because I didn't work out. My agent was like, 'Well pretend you work out'."
Jordan left the E4 reality show in 2015; he has since launched a clothing company, Jam Industries, and pursued a music career.
When he was on TV, Jordan revealed how he was constantly asked to promote products he didn’t believe in, such as teeth-whitening kits and detox teas.
At one point, he was asked to have liposuction and document the procedure on Instagram. He refused.
"I just did what I was told…,” he said. “Obviously the management want you to do these things because they make money off it."
Companies would pay him anywhere between £500 and £2,000 for a single post, he said.
But selling these items and being on Made in Chelsea had an adverse effect on Jordan’s mental wellbeing.
At one point, he recalled feeling that he'd “just turned into a ghost", adding, "I didn't even care if I got hit by a bus.”
Though he had hundreds and thousands of followers, the former reality star explained that his large online fan base made him feel like he was being intensely scrutinised and pretending to be someone he was not.
"You just become a puppet... you're literally like the packaging," he added.
"I genuinely think that people could die as a result of the phenomenon that is social media.”
With 290,000 followers, Jordan still boasts a significant following on Instagram, but he explained that he will now only work with brands he believes in.
Recent products promoted on his feed include Ray-Ban sunglasses and clothing from Jam Industries.
