﻿David Cameron, Barack Obama and Pamela Anderson have refused. George W Bush, Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Hawking have taken part. As the Ice Bucket Challenge notched up $100m for a US motor-neurone- disease charity and £4.5m for a British one, as well as thousands more for charities in Hong Kong and Australia, the bracing cold water of a backlash has quickly followed. 
Narcissistic celebrities showing off toned bodies, people having all the fun without donating, complaints about the waste of water – the attacks have come from commentators, animal-rights groups and environmentalists. And the US Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association – which is not related to Britain’s MND Association – also came under fire for the six-figure salaries being paid to its top staff. 
Meanwhile, the challenge continues to grow. For anyone unaware of how it works, someone gives a short speech to camera about the charity, then dumps a bucket of ice cubes in water over their head, or gets a friend to do it, before nominating three people to either do the same or donate. 
It began in the US in July, although whether it was on a golf course or a baseball field depends on which version you prefer, and first appeared on mainstream American television on 15 July. But the ALS Association has now been forced to withdraw an attempt to patent the phrase “Ice Bucket Challenge” after criticism. “We understand the public’s concern and are withdrawing the trademark applications,” spokeswoman Carrie Munk said. The ALS has yet to respond to criticism of its high overheads and wage bills. 
The unfortunate coincidence that 31 August to 5 September was World Water Week, with international delegates arriving in Stockholm to discuss the planet’s water crisis, has not been lost on some. The charity WaterAid is asking people to use recycled water from bathtubs or garden butts or to douse people with sea water.