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Ulrika Jonsson's Stocking Filler ad for mature dating app banned for being 'offensive'

Ulrika Jonsson stars in the ad for over-50s dating app Lumen (Credit: Rob Greig/Lumen)
Ulrika Jonsson stars in the ad for over-50s dating app Lumen (Credit: Rob Greig/Lumen)

An advert featuring Ulrika Jonsson promoting an over-Fifties dating app has been banned after being ruled to be “offensive”.

The 52-year-old TV presenter - who has been very open about her search for love since splitting from her husband in April this year - stars in the billboard for Lumen wearing red lingerie and stockings with the tagline: “Be my stocking filler”.

But according to the Evening Standard, Transport for London [TfL]’s advertising agency Global rejected the ad after the Committee of Advertising Practice [CAP] ruled it could cause offence.

CAP said: “We think that the image and the tagline ‘Be my stocking filler’ are likely to be considered problematic in out-of-home advertising as this could cause offence due to the sexual connotations, along with the potential of being seen to objectify women.”

Read more: Ulrika Jonsson opens up about her 'lonely' marriage to third husband

The ad features the tagline 'Be my stocking filler' (Credit: Rob Greig/Lumen)
The ad features the tagline 'Be my stocking filler' (Credit: Rob Greig/Lumen)

Lumen’s co-founder Charly Lester said: “It’s difficult to understand, considering that we’re constantly bombarded by highly sexualised images of people in their Twenties and Thirties, why we can’t have a fun and sexy advert featuring a beautiful 52-year-old woman.”

A TfL spokesman said: “Our advertising agent... deemed parts of Lumen’s advertising campaign not to be compliant following advice from the Committee of Advertising Practice.”

He added that TfL would be “open” to working with the brand on a campaign that could be used on its network.

Last year Lumen’s Christmas ad, featuring 58-year-old male model Paul Orchard, bare-chested and wearing braces with the slogan “Pull a cracker this Christmas”, was also banned by TfL.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20:  Ulrika Jonsson attends the World Premiere of 'One Direction: This Is Us' at Empire Leicester Square on August 20, 2013 in London, England.  (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Ulrika Jonsson is looking to find love again (Credit: Getty Images)

Jonsson - who announced her divorce from third husband Brian Monet in April this year - has been very vocal about the lack of intimacy in their 11 year marriage, saying the pair had been physically intimate with each other just once in eight years.

Announcing her partnership with Lumen on Instagram she said: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I’ve decided to join the over 50’s @lumenapp

“Yes, it’s true. This anxiety-ridden; out-of-practice; 52-year old Swedish Hasbeen is gonna give it a go. Don’t all rush at once. Form an orderly queue, all two of you. You can’t join me there unless you’re 50 or over.

“So still the chance of a toy boy for me.... Gawd knows, what will happen.”

Read more: Ulrika Jonsson reveals 'crippling anxiety'

The mother-of-four - who has an 11-year-old son Malcolm with Monet - met and married second husband Lance Gerrard-Wright while presenting a TV dating show Mr. Right in 2002. They have a 15-year-old daughter Martha and separated in 2005.

The former Gladiators presenter - who famously had an affair with then England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson - was previously married to cameraman John Turnbull from 1990 to 1995, with whom she has a 25-year-old son Cameron. And she has a 19-year-old daughter Bo from her relationship with German hotel manager Marcus Kempen.

Yahoo UK has contacted Jonsson for comment.