Backlash over Department for Education videos with Gemma Collins

Backlash over Department for Education videos with Gemma Collins 5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEmily HoltGetty ImagesThe Department for Education (DfE) has received backlash over its collaboration with TV reality star Gemma Collins promoting post-16 education on on social media. Collins appears in a number of videos on the DfE's social media pages, including a sit down chat with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. People questioning the inclusion of The Only Way Is Essex star and campaigners angry with the government's provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been critical of the videos.Phillipson described some of the negative comments as "outright snobbery and just downright unpleasant" and argued Collins had a reach "politicians can't reach".The reality TV star who has appeared in shows, including Celebrity Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Celebrity MasterChef, Celebs Go Dating and Dancing on Ice, has 2.3 million Instagram followers, Her follower count dwarves DfE's 85,000 followers and Bridget Phillipson's 19,000 followers.The DfE emphasised that the collaboration is about "how we are transforming post-16 education" and "supporting the aspirations of young people who want high quality vocational courses."The BBC understands that Collins chose to collaborate with the DfE in order to highlight alternative options for young people who feel university is not for them.Collins declined to comment. She features in a video depicting her walking into the DfE offices with the background music from film The Devil Wears Prada. In the video, Collins asks "Right, what are we doing to help the children?". She also sits down with Phillipson to chat about vocational courses and remarks of her love for monarch Richard III. The DfE commented on their Instagram post, amid concerns about the department's spending on infl...