Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley speaks out after Yorkshire bakery refuses to make free birthday cakes

The actress has been criticised after the company NYRLND asked Three Little Birds Bakery to make two cakes and 100 cup cakes her 40th birthday in Manchester, in exchange for “promotion” on social media and a mention in OK Magazine.

Rebecca Severs, owner of the bakery in Keighley, received thousands of messages of support on social media after revealing that she had refused the request from a “poor celebrity” who “apparently can't afford to pay people for their products and services”.

She posted her response online, which stated: “I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen out on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses for their products.

“Unfortunately, as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment ‘in the form of promotion on their socials’, and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer.”

Ms Tyldesley, who played Eva Price on ITV series Coronation Street, said the party is for her but she had “no idea” anyone had requested free cakes.

In a video shared on social media, she also said NYRLND is an “amazing company” and it has “been completely misrepresented in this matter”.

“It’s utterly bizarre,” she said. “I don't really know what to say.

“I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving whilst I've got journalists knocking on the front door while my kids are playing in the front room. Dead nice that.”