Deirdre Reynolds: Naomi Campbell and other celebs putting the ‘con’ into spon-con

In a union about as likely as oil and water, the original supermodel has joined forces with the British fast-fashion retailer, it was confirmed this week.

And I can’t wait to see whether the 53-year-old will choose to step out in one of their sheer lace one shoulder cut-out midaxi dresses (€14.50), or maybe the silky plunge extreme slit maxi dress (€28.80), on the red carpet next.

At least the tiny outfit should squeeze neatly between the black Alexander McQueen tuxedo suit (€3,635) and white Chanel couture dress (which you can’t even buy) currently hanging in her wardrobe, both of which she wore to the Cannes Film Festival recently.

Teased as “coming soon” on Instagram, the fashionista is set to design a range of clothes for the company, which previously ruffled faux feathers when it struck a £5m deal with Molly-Mae Hague to become creative director in 2021.

Considering that even the former Love Islander has now cut ties with the brand, and that Naomi’s previous collaborations include Hugo Boss and BMW, it’s quite the coup — not to mention quite the head-scratcher.

Aimed at 16- to 41-year-old women chasing the supermodel look on a supermarket budget, a bracket I regrettably fall into, are we meant to believe that the mum-of-two is sitting at home in her polyester pyjamas trawling through the website’s virtual bargain bin?

Or has star power finally eclipsed all credibility when it comes to flogging everything from booze to shoes in the age of the influencer?

Just this week, Jennifer Lopez was forced to defend her new cocktail brand Delola after fans pointed out she had previously claimed not to drink, while husband Ben Affleck has been open about his battle with alcoholism.

Responding to the backlash, the 53-year-old clarified: “That was true for a long time — I didn’t drink. As you will see from several photos over the past 10, maybe 15 years, I have been ... having the occasional cocktail.”

Side hustles have very much been in the news as we wait to see which RTÉ staffer ends up in the crosshairs next. All I ask is for these big-money deals to be vaguely believable.

Whatever about the ethics or optics, at least when Doireann Garrihy posted about delightedly tucking into her Flahavan’s porridge in the 2FM studio, you could reasonably believe that the presenter might hoof into one of the protein-packed pots in between ad breaks.

Likewise, George Clooney has me long since convinced that he lounges around his Lake Como pile sipping on steamy Nespressos while reading scripts.

On top of catching heat for teaming up with the landfill magnet, Naomi faced criticism that she was “too old” to become a mum after welcoming her second child last month.

Whatever about that, there definitely comes a time when you’re too long in the tooth to peddle teenybopper fashion — never mind wear it.