A gay couple who suffered homophobic abuse after appearing in a McCain’s TV advert will continue to feature in the campaign.

Lee and Mat Samuels-Camozzi, from Cheshire, appeared in a 60-second TV advert with their baby earlier this month.

Last week the couple said they had received dozens of abusive comments on social media, including one person who called them “sick”.

A spokesman for McCain’s confirmed that the pair would continue to feature in the campaign after the 60-second advert’s run came to an end.

One of two 30-second versions of the advert, which replace the original, includes the couple and will be aired next week and in the week beginning 23 October. McCain’s spokesman said the 30-second ads had been made before the 60-second version aired.

The McCain’s spokesman said the decisions were “absolutely not” connected to the social media backlash, about which the company said last week it was disappointed.

He said: “Our campaign is all about celebrating the diversity of family life and not everybody’s a normal family. There’s only so much you can say in 30 seconds. We’re still promoting them, they’re in the posters and we’ve got them on social media.”

The company said it had received overwhelming support for the “We Are Family” advert, which begins: “When it comes to family, what’s normal? Normal isn’t normal.”

It continues: “Grans who put you to bed and tell you not to believe in ghosts. Or maybe it’s dad who tucks you up. Dad. Daddy. Two daddies. Long-distance daddies.”

Lee Samuels-Comozzi who, with his partner, Mat, hugs and cradles their baby in the ad, said the abuse had left them disheartened, but that “for all the negativity we had lots of hugely supportive comments”.

• The headline and text were amended on 2 and 3 October 2017 to correct the mistaken impression that the gay couple had been removed from the campaign in response to the abuse, and to add the dates on which the 30-second ad featuring them was scheduled to appear on TV.