Paddy Power has reneged on a planned Euro 2024 advertising campaign featuring Boris Johnson after a backlash from its staff.

The former United Kingdom Prime Minister had reportedly agreed to a cameo role in the ad ahead of soccer’s European Championship international tournament, this summer. The Irish-based gambling giant is well-known for its irreverent and often controversial advertising tactics, often featuring publicity stunts to capture headlines and create talking points.

Recent ads have sparked fury, including one which depicted a blind soccer player kicking a cat and another social media video containing homophobic comments.

Johnson, the figurehead of the Brexit campaign in 2016, was set to wear an England jersey and proclaim, “I told you I would get us back in Europe,” as part of the bookmaker’s promotional activity. It represents something of an irony given his political rhetoric and activity in recent times but the eccentric politician is no stranger to a stunt, nor to take advantage of an opportunity. Some would say he perfectly fits Paddy Power’s self-deprecating brand.

However, the U-turn appears to have emerged following unease among its workforce at using “a figure as divisive as Johnson” and language that humorously poked fun at the Brexit situation.

Flutter Entertainment-owned Paddy Power confirmed they had been in negotiations with representatives of the former London Mayor and although the Euro 2024 campaign would not proceed, they hoped to collaborate in the future.

A spokesperson for the company said, “We have been speaking to Boris Johnson’s team about a number of opportunities, one of which was an idea for a cameo role in a TV advert.

With a general election on the horizon in the UK, Johnson is expected to be abroad for most of the campaign but he is set to lend his presence to the Conservatives remotely. He is a polarising figure but still commands significant support among the electorate despite standing down from frontline politics in June 2023.

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