Extramarital dating platform Illicit Encounters has released another controversial billboard in London, this time featuring former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
He resigned from his position earlier this week after a video was leaked showing him kissing a colleague, despite being married with three children. However, the resignation was in reaction to his breach of social distancing regulations, rather than the affair.
A billboard has appeared in the Elephant & Castle area of the city with an image of Hancock alongside the slogan “For An Affair Behind Closed Doors”. It is highly unlikely that he gave permission for his likeness to be used.
A spokesperson for Illicit Encounters told the Daily Mail: “This is the most talked about story in politics since that other chap with floppy blonde hair was accused of cheating, so we thought we’d use it as an opportunity to highlight the benefits of our service.
“Forget taped over CCTV cameras. We take the anonymity of our members very seriously to provide a meeting place for like-minded people looking for a little romance outside of their relationship.”
They also said that significant security and privacy measures are in place to make sure all users have their identities hidden “behind closed doors”.
Illicit Encounters received significant criticism in March for a similar billboard that encouraged people to have an affair after the schools went back. The disapproval was based around referencing children in the advertising material and encouraging people to break the COVID-19 guidelines.
The platform claims its member numbers have grown over the past year as marriages were strained during lockdowns.
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