Joe Wicks turned down £2 million – because it meant promoting fast food.
The 35-year-old fitness instructor said at first he was so excited by the huge offer of a partnership with a UK supermarket he boasted to his mum about it.
But walked away when he realised they wanted him to help sell a range of Joe Wicks ready meals, microwave dinners and sandwiches.
Having built his career helping families cook healthy meals as well as exercise the Body Coach said rejecting the deal was the best decision he has ever made.
Wicks – whose YouTube work out routines have attracted millions of fans during the pandemic – told the No Passion, No Point podcast he feels he can only promote products if he believes in them.
Joe said he initially boasted to his mum about the launch of the deal (Image: Getty Images)
He said: “I tried following the Jamie Oliver route with pots and pans cookware range and I loved it.
“It was a really good product but it didn’t light up the world. It done (sic) alright. It ran for a couple of years. It fizzled out and that’s fine. I’m ok with that.
“I did believe in the product and I thought I was getting people cooking.
“But I had an opportunity with a supermarket in the UK. They put £2 million on the table and said ‘Joe, we guarantee you £2 million if we do this partnership with you’.”
Joe has built up a fitness empire over the years (Image: BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
However, when Joe learned the contents of the meal plans were less-than-healthy, he realised his values were more important than any paycheque.
He continued: “So I was all excited. I said: ‘Mum this is amazing, look’.
“Then I looked at the product and it was fast food, it was ready meals, frozen dinners. It was Joe Wicks sandwiches and microwave dinners.
“And I thought the day I’ve got to go on my Instagram and say, ‘Hey guys, go and pick up my frozen ready meals in this supermarket’ a little bit inside of me would have died and I knew I couldn’t do it.”
The fitness pro went on: “I’ve spent seven years teaching people and convincing people, you’ve got 15 minutes to cook a recipe, you can cook a healthy meal for you and your family.
“Then to turn round and do that I said no and it was the best decision I ever made because I knew that that was the wrong thing for me to do and it was only for the money.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
