STARS AND THEIR (FREE) CARS

Our celebrities are in the lap of luxury as they swap their smiles for free miles from motor firms keen to fuel their image. So who has driven a hard bargain to ensure they’re in pole position?

OUR celebrities are inundated with freebies from brands in exchange for endorsements. You name it, they’ve blagged it, from the sublime to the ridiculous — holidays, jewellery, clothes, spray tans, spa hotel breaks, juice cleanses, hair extensions.

All in exchange for mentions in interviews or on social media or for turning up at some branded events and being photographed with the product.

But perhaps the moment an Irish celebrity knows he or she has arrived is when someone asks if they would like a free car — tax and insurance covered too.

After all, our gas guzzlers are one of life’s greatest expenses after mortgage and childcare.

A negotiator in these mutually beneficial arrangements tells us ‘every deal is different’. But as with most things celeb-related there is a hierarchy.

The make and model — from a nippy starter car to high-powered, six-figure motors — reflect the perceived value of that star’s influence on the target audience.

Such lucrative brand endorsements can last anything from one year to several, with some celebrities getting regular upgrades.

But try not to begrudge our household names their wheels of good fortune; the pleasure is possibly equal to the pain of losing the contract when someone cooler and more bankable inevitably vrooms along…