‘Feels off’: Star’s pregnancy post criticised

A former reality TV star has raised eyebrows with her pregnancy announcement post due to one glaring detail.

A former Married At First Sight star has raised eyebrows with her pregnancy announcement post due to one glaring detail that fans were quick to notice.

Ella May Ding, who appeared on season 9 of the hit dating show in 2022, took to Instagram to announce she was expecting her first child with husband Guy Palermo. The images featured the couple wearing all white, and cradling the 30-year-old’s tummy with a Clearblue pregnancy test on display.

“Somewhere between healing and hustling, the next chapter quietly chose us. Baby Palermo you’ve already made our story sweeter & given us the best news of 2025 yet,” the caption read.

“#ad #ClearblueConfirmed. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.”

Ella May Ding announced she was pregnant. Picture: Supplied

And while many fellow reality TV stars and influencers — including Tammy Hembrow, Jack Millar and Sarah Jane Roza — wished the couple congratulations, some took issue with the fact it was a sponsored post.

“Congrats! However does anyone else feel we are living in a capitalist nightmare with a pregnancy announcement being an ad,” one person commented.

Another added: “Nooo this feels off being an ad. Is this the official announcement? Congratulations either way.”

And another criticised: “Wow making money of (sic) the baby already? How desperate are you for cash? I hope you wont be exploiting this baby for content when its born. It's a child not content.”

news.com.au has contacted Clearblue and Ella May Ding for comment.

This isn’t the first time an influencer has pulled a stunt like this. Summer House star Lindsay Hubbard announced her pregnancy in a very similar way with the same brand.

It caught the same attention from fans, with one saying; “Lindsay would have to make a pregnancy announcement at some point, so why not cash in? What was she supposed to do? Say no, to keep the bitter internet hags happy?”

Some people were annoyed due to the fact it was sponsored. Picture: Supplied

Hubbard responded, with US Weekly reporting she simply commented: “My thoughts exactly. My expenses just doubled so … Let’s goooo!”

It’s also not the first time that Ding has used a milestone moment for brand deals. In 2023, she and then-boyfriend Mr Palermo were spotted taking a romantic beach stroll in Victoria.

Images from the intimate moment showed Ding handing Mr Palermo a ring in the box, with him saying yes.

But, the following day, it was clarified that it was simply Mr Palermo moving in — and a paid partnership for a 2UP joint bank account.

However, the following year got engaged for real and tied the knot in April 2024.

Originally published as ‘Feels off’: Star’s pregnancy post criticised