Holly Willoughby complains to PCC over 'fake up skirt' photo

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/19/holly-willoughby-fake-photo

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Holly Willoughby has complained to the Press Complaints Commission over a picture published by the Sunday Sport which her lawyers described as a "fake up the skirt photo".

Jonathan Coad of law firm Lewis Silkin, representing the ITV presenter, said the paper was known for its "habitual use" of faked photos featuring "attractive female stars".

He said the paper had previously superimposed a picture of Willoughby's face on someone else's naked body to make it look as she had posed in the nude.

He accused the paper of "shoddy journalism" and called the PCC to act in order "to establish in the minds of everyone who saw that picture that it was not of Holly and because the habitual use by the Sunday Sport of such a technique is a gross infringement of the rights of Holly and all the other female stars".

Willoughby, who co-hosts ITV1's This Morning, said: "I was outraged to discover that I was the victim of this misleading trick by the Sunday Sport, which I know it used on many other women such as myself. I have instructed my lawyers to take firm action against the paper."

The photo, which has also been distributed on Twitter, reputedly shows Willoughby sitting in a car. Coad said in his letter to the PCC that the paper commonly publishes such pictures.

A spokesman for the PCC confirmed it had a complaint from Willoughby under clauses 1 and 3 of the editors code of practice that relate to accuracy and privacy.

Sunday Sport was launched in 1986 by David Sullivan, who made his fortune in publishing adult titles. Sullivan sold his stake in Sports Newspapers to Interactive World, later renamed Sports Media Group, in 2007.

Sullivan rescued the company from potential bankruptcy two years later by lending it £1.68m in exchange for a near 10% stake in the company. He paid just £50,000 to take control of the title in April 2011, after SMG went into administration.

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