Tom and Giovanna Fletcher were the latest stars to make headlines this week.
They came under fire for using the Government’s furlough scheme during the pandemic, but the way they handled the criticism is a masterclass in how celebrity apologies should be done.
It was claimed last week that the I’m A Celebrity winner and the McFly star – who has an estimated worth of £8million – received up to £30,000 from the state during the coronavirus pandemic.
Giovanna and Tom swiftly released a joint statement to apologise for the decision as well as to confirm they had paid back the money – the amount of which they say was incorrectly reported – in full.
While many celebrities have issued carefully written statements following a scandal, Tom and Giovanna didn’t try to push the blame anywhere else, holding their hands up to claiming the money for an employee – which their company was entitled to do under the scheme to help businesses stay afloat – and admitting it was ‘a huge error of judgement’.
As well as their sincere apology, the couple confirmed that the money, which they had claimed to ensure the employee’s job was secure, was paid back in full, seemingly from their own pockets.
Many fans took to Twitter after their statement was released to point out to critics that the amount of money a company holds is vastly different to the personal wealth of its owners and the support payment was designed to offer a safety net to help them retain jobs rather than to have to make their employee redundant instead.
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‘I’m sending safe wishes to everyone to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time.’
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Another star whose apology came under fire was Lea Michele, who was accused of bullying her Glee co-stars after several spoke out about their experiences of working with her.
While she apologised for her past behaviour and vowed to do better going forward, Lea repeatedly focused on how her actions had been ‘perceived’ by the castmates in question, leading some to claim it came across as disingenuous.
One of the reason’s Tom and Giovanna’s apology stands out from the crowd is due to the sincerity of feeling behind it, and the fact they have done everything in their power to remedy the situation so quickly.
They admitted to a lapse of judgement but kept their statement short and to the point at a time when many turn to waffling monologues (see: Tiger Woods’ 14-minute press conference after cheating on his wife) in an attempt to paint themselves in a better light.
Other stars could take pointers from the couple’s handling of the headlines – owning up to it, a sincere apology and remedying the situation quickly will mean the fans will forgive and forget the oversight faster than otherwise.
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