Christina Trevanion has posted a heartfelt message sharing her appreciation for the support she’s received following her appearance on BBC’s Morning Live last week, where she revealed she had been targeted by deepfake explicit videos.
Appearing on the show, the Bargain Hunt presenter spoke out for the first time about how her image had been used without her permission to generate pornographic content that was circulated online.
“Last September I discovered my image had been used to create phony explicit videos known as deepfake porn,” explained Christina. “I was sent a very long list of sensitive urls where my head had been AI-ed onto pornographic videos and images.”
She added: “As it sunk in, it was deeply distressing. I felt naive, and stupid and utterly violated in every single way.”
© BBCDeepfakes are images or videos generated by artificial intelligence, using the faces of real people and celebrities.
Christina also spoke to another victim, given the pseudonym Jodie, who was sent a link in 2021 to deepfake videos and images depicting her in explicit scenes with men. “I just felt like my whole world shattered around me,” she explained. “I felt that if someone saw these images, they looked very real and they might think they are real.
© BBC“I felt my relationship might be on the line. My friends and family too, it really did feel that this could ruin my life,” added Jodie.
Christina later said: “It’s something I will always have hanging over me and other victims. Seeing your own image being used without your consent feels like you’re being robbed of your free will.”
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Christina said she had been “overwhelmed” by the amount of messages she received following the broadcast.
© @christinatrevanion / Instagram“I am overwhelmed by the amount of messages and support you have shown me and appreciate everyone who has got in touch,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I made the film to highlight this dreadful form of abuse. It has to stop.
“To all survivors – you are not alone.”
In another post, she thanked the Morning Live team for “not shying away from tackling difficult subjects”, as well as Jodie for sharing her story.
© BBCChristina also shared her appreciation for Charlotte Owen, Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge, who is working hard to propose amendments to the law aimed at tackling image-based sexual abuse.
Morning Live airs on weekdays from 9.30am on BBC One and iPlayer.