An independent bakery owner has lambasted ITV bosses after receiving an email from staff working on The Voice UK, requesting free products for the show's talent dressing rooms and green rooms. Rich Myers, owner of Get Baked, shared a screenshot of the email on Instagram, where it quickly went viral.
Email Request Sparks Outrage
The email, signed by “The Voice Team,” began by praising Get Baked’s “amazing products” and asked for help supplying them to the show’s “high calibre of talent” and celebrity coaches. However, it explicitly stated that no payment would be made: “Unfortunately, we at ITV are unable to offer anything monetary or otherwise in return for your products.” The email suggested that exposure to “highly influential coaches and presenters” would be sufficient compensation.
Myers initially thought the request was a joke. In his Instagram caption, he wrote: “I actually thought this was a wind up, but it’s totally real. ITV and Lifted Entertainment, you’re a total disgrace. Honestly, how did we get here?” He also shared his blunt, expletive-laden response to the email, telling the sender to ask their bosses to “f*** off” on his behalf.
Myers’ Response and Viewer Backlash
Myers clarified that he did not blame the individual who sent the email, but rather the corporate culture at ITV. He mocked the promise of exposure, asking: “Who do they think I am, Gregg Wallace?” The post garnered over 32,400 likes and nearly 1,300 comments, with many users expressing disbelief at ITV’s request. Comedian Abi Clarke noted, “LOL that they aren’t even promising exposure,” while Great British Menu presenter Andi Oliver called the phrasing “wild chat.”
In a follow-up post, Myers responded to a request for comment from a Daily Mail reporter, calling the request a “disgrace” and stating: “a conglomerate posting pre-tax profits of circa £350m asking for free cake from an independent bakery is an absolute disgrace, and should be made illegal.” He also pointed out that The Voice’s viewership had declined from 8.6 million in 2015 to 2.8 million in 2024, sarcastically offering marketing assistance—at a cost.
ITV’s Financial Performance and Viewership Decline
ITV’s full-year results for 2025 showed a pre-tax profit of £338 million, down 35% from £521 million the previous year. Despite the decline, ITV said it performed ahead of market expectations and predicted growth in 2026. The Voice, which averaged 8.5 million viewers during its BBC peak from 2012 to 2015, has seen a steady decline since moving to ITV. The 13th series in 2024 averaged only 2.7 million viewers per episode.
The Standard has contacted ITV and Get Baked for comment.
