𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The post said: “If Gemma Collins were Education Secretary, what would she do? Bring the glamour and get things done, of course. From hard work and confidence to showing up unapologetically as yourself, The GC and Bridget Phillipson chat ambition, opportunity and how the government is helping every pupil achieve and thrive.”

But the post prompted criticism from other X users, with one person saying: “Despite the overwhelming backlash you continue to push out and peddle this utter dross. You are not a serious government. Embarrassing.”

Another added: “What on earth is this nonsense? Our teachers work their butts off and get treated to Gemma (no hate for her in her own sphere of work) saying this idiotic claptrap. Why have you done this?”

A third said: “Why is the UK government a total and utter embarrassment at everything it touches!!”

Another wrote: “The fact they’re still posting this nonsense, proves what everyone knows. Labour doesn’t listen to what the British people are saying or even care.”

One more said: “‘Glamour’?! Is that a prerequisite for the role?”

It comes as the Education Secretary has defended the move to feature the former The Only Way Is Essex star in a series of social media posts, saying the responses revealed “a big dose of snobbery”.

Ms Phillipson told Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I do have to come back to this point that I think a lot of the comments that I’ve seen on social media and elsewhere… there is a big dose of snobbery here – ‘What’s she got to offer? What does she have to contribute?’ – I do have to question why people are saying that and I do think it is snobby.

“She can reach some of the audiences that we want to reach to make sure that they know what government is trying to do to work with them.

“People have said to me so many times you’ve got to raise the status of technical and vocation education, you’ve got to meet people where they are, go to the audience and meet them where they are, I do that and then everybody says well, Gemma Collins has got nothing to offer.”

Collins was not paid for the meeting or for the making of the posts, the department has said.