It feels like every few months a celebrity decides they’re better placed than scientists, doctors and decades of public health research to dish out life-changing medical advice. The latest? Sam Faiers – ITV reality star, entrepreneur and mother of three, whose comments about sunscreen, antibiotics and cancer screening have left experts horrified and fans divided.
Faiers, best known from The Only Way Is Essex and her new ITV2 spin-off Sam & Billie: Sister Act, recently told followers that her children “don’t need SPF” because they’ve built up a “tolerance to the sun”.
As well as that, Sam also questioned the value of mammograms in detecting breast cancer, suggested her sister Billie avoid antibiotics for Lyme disease, and discouraged a tonsillectomy for Billie’s young son. On Instagram, these pronouncements were packaged in the language of holistic health, natural living and “listening to the body”.
One look at the comments on Gordon Ramsay’s skin cancer announcement over the weekend will tell you that people are actually believing that SPF can be carcinogenic and actually do you harm.
But the truth is, this isn’t harmless lifestyle chatter – it’s dangerous misinformation. And ITV has decided to reward Sam with a presumably very well-paid platform from which to spout it.
Time to pull the plug on Sam Faiers, ITV!
To confirm, Sam Faiers is an influencer, not a qualified health professional. Kelsey Parker, too, has weighed in on the row, revealing she doesn’t use sunscreen on her young kids, either.
Dermatologists have rushed to counter her claims, stressing that no one ever develops immunity to ultraviolet rays. Every tan, they explain, is a sign of skin damage that increases long-term cancer risk.
Cancer specialists, meanwhile, warn that dismissing mammograms in favour of “radiation-free alternatives” could delay early diagnoses that save lives.
Even her advice on antibiotics raises eyebrows: while overprescription is indeed a problem, suggesting people skip medically necessary treatment can lead to serious complications, especially when talking about children.
It would be one thing if Faiers were simply a private citizen sharing offbeat opinions with friends. But she isn’t. She’s a public figure with millions of social media followers, many of them young parents who hang on her words. That kind of influence carries weight.
Her sister Billie even admitted on their ITV2 show that she feels conflicted – torn between her sibling’s advice and her that of her doctor. When family members are swayed, what hope does the average fan have of separating pseudoscience from reality?
Influencer vs expert – the lines are blurred
The backlash has been swift. Viewers and commentators have accused Faiers of being “irresponsible” and “naïve”. But as damaging as this may be to her brand, it also highlights a bigger problem in celebrity culture: our willingness to treat fame as a credential. Somewhere along the line, the lines blurred between influencer and expert, with wellness becoming the perfect arena for stars to reinvent themselves as guides, gurus or healers.
And let’s be honest, there’s money in it. From skin serums to supplements, the wellness industry thrives on celebrity endorsement, often at the expense of nuance or science. For Sam, presenting herself as a holistic voice of reason might feel like a way to distinguish her personal brand in a crowded entertainment market. But when it involves telling millions of people to ditch SPF or ignore doctors, it isn’t branding – it’s reckless.
Frame it differently
Celebrities don’t need to stop talking about their health entirely. Authenticity matters, and fans value honesty. But sharing a personal journey is very different from offering prescriptive advice that flies in the face of medical consensus. If Sam Faiers truly wants to use her platform for good, she could champion awareness campaigns, amplify expert voices or simply acknowledge the limits of her expertise.
Because here’s the reality: sunshine might boost our mood, but it also causes cancer. Mammograms may be imperfect, but they save lives. And no amount of Instagram-friendly natural living will change that.
Until celebrities like Sam start respecting those truths, the most responsible thing fans can do is treat their health advice for what it is – content, not care. And the best thing ITV can do is put an end to its relationship with Sam Faiers after this series ends.
Sam and Billie: Sister Act is on ITV2 tonight (September 2) at 9pm.
Read more: Backlash as Strictly star goes to the pub as son hospitalised
So what do you think of Sam Faiers’ advice – and are you watching her ITV show? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.