Amy Hunt has said her decision to speak out against Sydney Sweeney’s controversial betting advert is “nothing personal” against the actress.
The Euphoria actress, 29, posed naked with footballs, a tennis racket, a baseball bat and a hockey stick in the ad campaign for American betting company Novig.
European champion Amy Hunt has responded to actor Sydney Sweeney's new sports gambling advert.
The advert has gone viral for the fact that Sweeney appears naked, covering parts of her body with sports equipment.
Critics have responded to the advert, accusing it of sexualising… pic.twitter.com/qvt0K5NYCO
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) September 15, 2026
The ad has received significant backlash from several female athletes, who felt it was “sexualising women’s sport”.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, British sprinter Hunt discussed the response to the ad, which she said had ended up being a celebration of female athletes.
She said: “I think the reaction has almost outweighed the moment because the first thing I saw was all of the positive compilations of women in sport.
“It’s actually kind of moved. It’s separated itself from the moment entirely, and it’s not anything personal against that actress.
“It’s more the kind of intention, and it’s just moved into a completely different spin now, where we’re able to kind of have all these different things celebrating women’s sport.”
However, when asked by presenter Susanna Reid why the ad had caused so much backlash, she replied: “I think when we’re trying to provide role models for young people and young women in sport, we really want to show that it’s about what your body can do, not so much what it looks like.
“I think when we see the stats of 64% of young girls drop out of exercise and sport before they reach the age of 16, we don’t need to place any kind of barrier whatsoever in their way in terms of providing the opportunity and the empowerment for them to still exercise, whatever that looks like, professional or kind of just going to do a ParkRun with your friends.
“So it’s about empowering young girls and young women and young people to show that you really can just get out there and you don’t have to worry about what you look like, you don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing.”
She added: “Sport, it’s not pretty, and I think that’s the thing to get to the level that we’re at. It’s shown to people that being aspirational and trying to be elite is something amazing, and you should really want to be the best version of yourself you can be.”
“And that doesn’t always look attractive, and that doesn’t always look nice. Sometimes it looks like throwing up in the corner of the track, or I’ve had sessions this year where I’ve been crying afterwards.”
During Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, host Cat Deeley called the ad “old-fashioned and not very clever”.
Hunt was among those who expressed opposition to the ad when she finished fourth in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday.
In a post-race interview with BBC Sport, she said: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.”
Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus also criticised the ad, writing on Instagram that it “infuriated” her and was a “kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft”.
She also urged Sweeney to “do better”.
Following the backlash, Sweeney shared several photos of athletes posing nude on her Instagram Stories, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki and Rob Gronkowski.
Press Association has contacted representatives for Sydney Sweeney for comment.
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