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Katie Hopkins has waded in to the controversy surrounding an advert which asks "Are you beach body ready?" as a petition calling for its removal gathers tens of thousands of signatures.

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The Protein World advert, which appears in London Underground stations, features a model in a bikini and is advertising the brand's weight loss collection.

Hopkins has added her voice to an ongoing Twitter storm, referring to "angry chubsters" - and Protein World's head of marketing said it is "great" that she has got involved.

Critics of the advertising billboard have started the hashtag #everybodysready, while some have shared pictures of the poster with writing and obscenities scrawled across it.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it has received 216 complaints about the ad, and a spokeswoman said the general nature of the complaints is that the ad is "offensive, irresponsible and harmful because it promotes an unhealthy body image".

An investigation has not been launched but the ASA said they are "carefully assessing" the complaints to "establish if there are grounds for further action".

Former Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother star Hopkins, who has been outspoken about weight in the past, said in a series of tweets: "Chubsters, quit vandalising Protein World ads and get your arse running on the road. Feminism isn't an excuse for being fat. Eat less, move more.

"Ads for 'beach body ready' vandalised. Society has huge acceptance for being fat - but masses of abuse for being skinny.

"We are cheer leading chubsters, 'brave' 'beautiful inside and out' but we are quick to shame those with self-control, eating in moderation.

"Let's get the Protein World ads at the top of stairs and steep hills. get the chubsters with their sharpies shifting their chubby arses.

"Off for a run. Angry chubsters - feel free to catch me and tell me about your 'medical issues'."

Protein World's Twitter account retweeted a couple of Hopkins' tweets and has also tweeted that it is "Here to motivate, not commiserate", and used the hashtag #getagrip.

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