Australian influencer Sopha Dopha has faced a backlash from fans after complaining about the lack of gluten-free food at Sydney Airport despite having appeared in advertising campaigns for McDonald’s.
The social media personality, whose real name is Sophia Begg, recently criticised the airport’s breakfast offering in a video, saying she had struggled to find suitable food while travelling.
Her comments prompted Sydney Airport to publish a TikTok highlighting seven gluten-free options across its terminals, using Begg’s original audio and tagging her in a post captioned: “Hope this helps.”
The response attracted widespread criticism online, with users accusing the airport of treating a dietary concern dismissively. The airport later acknowledged that some people felt its post had “missed the mark” and said it was working with retail partners to make gluten-free information easier for passengers to find.
Begg’s complaint has since drawn fresh scrutiny because of her previous promotional work with McDonald’s. Fans questioned why she had accepted advertising deals with a fast-food chain which does not provide a dedicated gluten-free menu, while publicly raising concerns about the limited options available at the airport.
Some social media users also pointed to the distinction between food being described as gluten-free, low-gluten or merely suitable for people avoiding gluten, particularly for those with coeliac disease.
Sydney Airport said a preliminary review had identified at least 25 food and drink outlets offering gluten-free or low-gluten options, although availability can vary between terminals and throughout the day.
Begg has not publicly responded to the criticism over her McDonald’s campaigns. She has more than two million followers across TikTok and Instagram.
