BBC show The Apprentice has come under scrutiny after Karren Brady was accused of plugging her boardroom outfits on social media.
Lord Alan Sugar 's co-star on the hit show has been mentioning the brands of the dresses and tops she has been wearing to her followers online.
However Beeb guidelines state that: "No on-air talent should promote products, goods, services or clothing they use on air."
In one case, brand Phoebe Grace promoted the fact Brady wore their £200 black and white heart blouse on the Apprentice, on its Instagram page.
It said: "The beautiful @karren_brady_official wearing #PG on the telly last night! Did you see? Lots of you guys recognised the shirt and let me know."
Brady, 53, responded that she had "so many compliments from it".
Third parties are banned from cashing in on the BBC's output.
Since the start of the series, Brady has also been accused of plugging her on-screen clothes from Reiss, ME + EM, Edeline Lee and Safiyaa, to her 166,000 followers. Tonight a spokeswoman for The Apprentice insisted that she had not broken any guidelines. She said: "Karren has not benefitted financially from her social media posts and has not breached BBC editorial guidelines.
"She pays for all the clothes she wears on the show and does not have relationships with the brands."
The spokeswoman refused to answer questions over whether the specific BBC guideline – 15.3.36 – applied to Brady. Tonight a source insisted that Brady was "not promoting" the clothing worn on the show but "providing information".
The source added: "If brands are using social pictures of Karren, or if they were to screenshot pictures from the show, this is in no way affiliated with Karren nor done with her permission.
"In no way is she advertising or promoting brands and is not in breach of BBC editorial guidelines – this has been confirmed to us by BBC Editorial Policy. If it was an ad she would have to make that clear in her posts."
The BBC has recently come under the spotlight over its stars' social media activity linked to external brands.
The Mirror revealed last month how BBC Ski Sunday host Chemmy Alcott was in hot water after being caught plugging her clothing range on screen.
She breached BBC rules about conflicts of interest by wearing jumpers for skiwear brand Snow Finel on the show. Chemmy, 40, has been a brand ambassador for the firm for four years.
Last year she was "reminded of BBC guidelines" after we revealed how she had worn the gear on Ski Sunday.
BBC rules also state presenters are not allowed to "appear on air wearing clothes or using products, goods or services which they have agreed, or been contracted, to promote or in which they have financial interest".
Chammy’s co-star Ed Leigh was also seen wearing Volcom ski jackets, after acting as an ambassador for the brands.
BBC sources insisted that the relationship ended before the current season of Ski Sunday, and was not a paid position.
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