TNT’s Charles Barkley was caught mocking his own advertising campaign for Weight Watchers on the air when he thought his microphone was off.
But fear not. Weight Watchers says it’s willing to forgive and forget its erstwhile endorser for saying he’s scamming the company by collecting some nice fat paychecks for losing some pounds.
“We love Charles for the same reason everyone loves Charles, he’s unfiltered,” says Weight Watchers spokesman Matthew Bautista in a statement. “We are thrilled that he is having great success and inspiring millions of men to join him. We agree that being a spokesman for Weight Watchers is a pretty great gig.”
Weight Watchers even coughed up Sir Charles’ own “official” statement on the matter:
I meant what I said, the fact that I’m dropping pounds, getting healthier and getting paid at the same time, is my definition of a great scam. The only problem is I’m going to have to use some of the money to buy a new wardrobe.
Not realizing his microphone was still hot during a TNT game telecast, Barkley mocked the campaign by telling on-air colleagues Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan the easy money he was pocketing for being a Weight Watchers spokesman was a bigger scam than getting paid to talk basketball on TV.
We’d show the offending clip — but it’s been taken down from YouTube due to a copyright claim by the NBA. The Round Mound of Rebound looks noticeably slimmer in his “Lose Like a Man” commercials for Weight Watchers.
