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Cake gate! Catherine Tyldesley’s viral ‘freebie’ birthday drama – bite by bite

The cake gate drama explained

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Former Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley has found herself at the centre of a viral birthday drama –  dubbed ‘cake gate.’

It all started when a small bakery posted an email from Catherine’s team asking for free cake.

Here’s a bite by bite rundown of everything that’s gone down in ‘cake gate’ so far.

Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley is on the red carpet
Catherine’s event team asked for free cake (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Three Little Birds Bakery posted an email from Cath’s team

‘Cake gate’ all started six days ago (Thursday, July 27) when a small bakery – Three Little Birds Bakery – posted screenshots of an email conversation between the bakery and the event team of a well-known celebrity.

The email spoke about the team organising the star’s 40th birthday party.

They requested a 40th birthday cake, 100 cupcakes and a smaller cake for the star’s husband.

In exchange, they would give the bakery exposure on the star’s social media page as well as ‘promotion in OK Magazine’.

They wanted the cakes for free without paying a penny to the bakery.

It was later revealed that the 40th birthday party was that of Catherine Tyldesley.

Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley is smiling
The bakery rejected the request (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Three Little Birds Bakery replied back to Cath’s team

Three Little Birds Bakery then shared another screenshot of the email they replied back with.

They shared their comeback with their followers: “I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times that they can’t afford to pay small businesses for their products.

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

Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley is smiling
Three Little Birds Bakery have been threatened with legal action (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Bakery threatened with legal action

On Monday, July 31, Three Little Birds Bakery returned to Facebook to give an update on ‘Cake gate.’

The owner of the bakery, Rebecca Sever, wrote: “I’ve now been threatened with legal action by NVRLND as a response to this post which they say is encouraging defamation of their business. So in order to make sure our posts are being completely transparent and we aren’t spreading false information, let me just be completely clear.

“NVRLND aren’t getting paid properly either, they are also working entirely on a “promotional and expenses only basis”. Hope that clears it up.”
Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley is smiling
Catherine responded (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Catherine Tyldesley speaks out on ‘Cake-gate’

Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley has finally responded to ‘cake gate’ today (Wednesday, August 2) via her Instagram account.

She revealed: “So I have no idea those emails were being sent. I’m not working with the lovely OK! magazine on anything that I’m aware of.

“And NVRLND are an amazing company. They’ve supplied me with performers in the past. They’re insane and they’ve been completely misrepresented in this matter.”

After praising NVRLND for their charity work, she then said: “I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving.”

Captioning her video in a reel later on, Catherine added: “I would never ask anyone to work for free or provide product for free.

“I genuinely do hope the bakery have got some exposure and receive lots of new orders! I’ve always supported local and small businesses. The abuse I have been receiving online is horrendous so hopefully this will put an end to it. And here’s to turning 40! Love Cath x”

Entertainment Daily has contacted reps for Catherine Tyldesley and NVRLND for comment.

Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2023 – meet them all here!

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Tamzin Meyer
Assistant Soap Editor

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