Critics have dubbed a phone giant's latest advert featuring Dua Lipa “a joke” - stressing they cannot get reception in the area.

The unexpected backlash came after O2’s minute-long commercial starring the artist in various well-known Broadstairs locations aired last week.

Lipa attracted strong media attention in May when she was spotted with film crews exploring various hotspots; the beach huts and Morelli’s Gelato, for example.

But when O2’s Priority commercial promoting early access tickets aired ahead of the 28-year-old’s Wembley gig many Kent customers were left bemused.

Rabs Chanbuna said on social media:“ Please tell me this is a joke considering you cannot get signal down Broadstairs seafront let alone the beach?

“Well, you can,” she quipped: “But it connects to the French side.”

Catherine Bartle called the signal “diabolical” whilst Carl Amas added: “You’d be lucky to even get signal on O2 down Broadstairs.”

And Joe Deveney said: “The hilarious thing is Broadstairs is known for having terrible signal, especially on the harbour/seafront.”

However, not everyone has found themselves agreeing with the verdict delivered.

Bibi Morelli, who runs the ice cream parlour which has become synonymous with Broadstairs, stated her belief the presence of the phone company had been a good thing.

She told KentOnline: “I really have no complaints and think O2 have given Broadstairs excellent publicity by featuring it so prominently on their ad.

“Hopefully, many businesses in the area will benefit from the increased visibility.”

Issues with phone service in Broadstairs and the rest of Thanet have been well-documented for years, with then-MP Craig Mackinlay leading a campaign in 2015 to boost signal in the district.

The advert opens with a wide shot of Viking Bay in Broadstairs before showing Dua Lipa strutting through the sand towards Victoria Parade.

The town’s beach huts and RLNI station can be seen as the camera moves across the faces of awe-struck beach-goers.

But the historic ice cream parlour, Morelli’s Gelato gets the first big visual shout-out as the celebrity enters the cafe.

Shots inside the venue show diners tucking into sundaes before cutting to an evening shot of an arcade.

With colourful lights flashing from above, the singer-turned-actress walks across the game floor before making her way through a secret backdoor into her own concert.

The release of the footage comes less than two months after the three-time Grammy Award winner left the town’s residents stunned.

Large crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the English-Albanian pop star in real life, who also has seven Brit Awards.

An O2 spokesperson said: “We invest more than £5 million a day to upgrade our networks and services to provide customers the fast and reliable connectivity they rely on.

“While our systems show that the Broadstairs area is currently receiving a good service, we are happy to investigate any issues if customers contact us directly.”