A British television personality, Bushra Shaikh — known for appearing on series 13 of The Apprentice and as a commentator on TalkTV and Good Morning Britain — took part in two state-sponsored press tours of Iran in early 2025, where she met senior government officials and promoted regime narratives to her hundreds of thousands of social media followers. An investigation by Factnameh, an Iranian fact-checking organisation, found she played a "highly active role in reproducing the government's narrative," with the tours organised by IRIB World Service, the international arm of Iran's state broadcaster. Analysts say the case reflects a broader Iranian strategy of engaging western influencers — who are seen as easier to cultivate than traditional journalists and less likely to have their content fact-checked — particularly since the June 2025 conflict between Iran and Israel.