Alex Mortimer, a former nursery worker from Rutherglen, was among 100 others recruited by the bingo site to take part in their adverts. Angry parents were waiting outside the nursery where he was previously employed. They wanted answers from the South Lanarkshire Council who fired Mortimer when the allegations became known. The situation was exacerbated once parents realized that ITV had not taken the advert off the air which is shown before, during and at the end Emmerdale and watched by nearly six million viewers. The advert was still being shown as late as Monday, February 27th.
A grandmother of one of the nursery children said, “I am disgusted, shocked and upset after seeing that he is still on the Tombola advert during the showing of Emmerdale. I have complained to STV that we still have to watch this man. What does it take to have his face removed from our television? I last saw him appearing on the advert on Friday (February 24) evening. I knew it was him as I regularly collect my grandchild from the nursery where he was employed. I and other parents are angry that this man should still be on this advert despite our complaints.”
A mother of another child said, “As soon as he's been charged he shouldn't be appearing on national telly dancing about. At the end of the day you've got the sensitivity of parents to consider.”
A spokesperson from ITV stated, "The Tombola Emmerdale sponsorship idents are fully compliant with Ofcom regulations. However, given the active legal proceedings which have now come to light, ITV and Tombola have taken the decision to suspend the versions featuring this individual across ITV Platforms."
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