Catherine Tyldesley cancels her 40th birthday bash after being 'blindsided' by 'bizarre' cake gate row with bakers who refused to make 100 treats for actress's party in return for exposure

Catherine Tyldesley has reportedly cancelled her 40th birthday party after being ‘blindsided’ by online backlash surrounding a fierce row over free cake.

The former Coronation Street star had hired party planners NVRLND to manage the do, but they caused controversy by asking an independent bakery to make a large birthday cake, a smaller birthday cake for Tyldesley’s husband plus 100 cupcakes for free.

The company told Rebecca Severs of Three Little Birds Bakery that payment for the order would be ‘in the form of promotion’, but she hit back at the PR and declined the offer, saying her staff ‘can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram.’

The bash, scheduled for September 1, has now been cancelled after a furious backlash against Ms Tyldesley for the request, the Mirror reports. 

A source close to the actress said: ‘Cath was blindsided by Cakegate and found the whole thing very upsetting so she’s decided on a quieter celebration. 

Rebecca Severs, from Keighley, won praise for her response to a company asking for a free birthday cake for Catherine 

‘She doesn’t blame NVRLND, but the whole situation left a sour taste so she felt it best to call it off.’

NVRLND did not tell Ms Severs whose birthday celebration the request was for, simply saying it was a ‘well-known celebrity’.

Ms Severs shared her response to the PR, who asked for the cakes at the height of the cost of living crisis, in which she said: ‘I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses their products.

‘Unfortunately as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment “in the form of promotion on their socials”, and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer.’

She received a flood of support from the public online, and later joked her bakery provides ‘delicious cakes and a generous side of sarcasm when necessary.’

One social media user commented: ‘Best response! Good for sticking to your guns!’

Rebecca emailed the company back, explaining that she would be declining the ‘very generous offer’

The email claimed to be from the management company of a ‘well-known celebrity’ who was having a 40th birthday party 

Another added: ‘Good for you!’ while a third wrote: ‘Love it!’

A fourth commented: ‘Got yourself a new follower here, purely because this response is exactly the level of business-like sarcasm I aspire to. Fab response.’

Ms Tyldesley broke her silence after the post went viral when she took to Instagram and shared a video entitled ‘Cake Gate – The Truth’.

In it, she said she was unaware that NVRLND had sent the request to Ms Severs, but added: ‘I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving.’

She was widely criticised for her response on social media. 

Ms Tyldesley’s representatives have been contacted for comment.