Catherine Tyldesley

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By Hayley CoyleBBC News

A baker who refused to cater a TV star's 40th birthday in exchange for publicity said she was defending small businesses.

Three Birds Bakery claimed a PR firm asked if it would make two cakes, plus cupcakes, for ex-Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley for free.

After screengrabs were shared online, The Exchange went viral with NVRLND PR claiming it was " misconstrued".

The Bbc has contacted the PR firm for comment.

The Initial email to Rebecca Severs, owner of Keighley's Three Birds Bakery, asked her to make the cakes with " Social Media exposure" and mentions in OK! magazine as payment instead of cash.

Ms Severs replied, pointing out that her mortgage and staff wages could not be paid in " Instagram likes" so she would be " declining the generous offer".

After posting The Exchange " for a bit of fun" it went viral and The Baker believed This Was because being asked for freebies " touched a nerve" with small businesses across The World .

She told BBC Radio Leeds: " A lot of industries like mine are not valued enough for the skill and time that goes into our products.

" It's not just The Time it takes to make a cake, it's the 20-odd years of experience and skill you've spent to get to that point.

" It's a real challenge to price your own worth when it's your own thing, it's really personal. "

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She added: " Customers pay for knowledge and skill. "

Leeds-based NVRLND PR, who Rebecca claimed has since threatened her with legal action, denied asking for free cakes and said it would never expect a collaborating business to be " out of pocket".

Founder Victoria Eames said: " NVRLND contacted Three Little Birds Bakery to offer them the opportunity to collaborate with one of our clients to cater for a party.

" As part of The Collaboration , our client would cover all of Three Little Birds Bakery's expenses and costs in exchange for Social Media content and local and national exposure for their business. "

Ms Tyldesley has claimed she had " no idea" the emails were sent and called The Situation " bizarre".

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In an Instagram clip posted on Wednesday, the mother-of-two said that NVRLAND were an " amazing company" and had been " completely misrepresented in this matter".

" Don't really know what to say.

" I mean I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving" she added.

Ms Tydelsey's husband, photographer Tom Pitfield , 35, also denied any knowledge of the emails.

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Source of news: bbc.com