OHMYGOSSIP — Shirley Ballas has been scared to leave her home after death threats from trolls.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ head judge has opened up about the violent and sexual messages she has been subjected to online as she fears the trolls are “lurking in dark corners or hiding behind walls”.
As reported by The Sun newspaper, she says in new ITVX documentary ‘Olivia Attwood vs The Trolls’: “I’ve had people draw coffins with me in it with somebody with a spade that said, ‘Die you b***h.’ ”
At one point, the 63-year-old star even considered quitting the BBC ballroom competition over the abuse.
She added: “It’s when it is personal about myself and my family and it affects my mental health. I am not just talking about your phone.
“I am talking about being in public. You worry about those same strange people that write these kinds of messages.
“Are they lurking in dark corners? Are they hiding behind walls when you go somewhere?”
Speaking to former ‘Love Island’ star Olivia in the documentary, she admitted she often lies awake thinking about the people subjecting her to such cruel messages.
She revealed: “Sometimes at night, I lie there and wonder, Are they suffering? Are they lonely? Is it funny to them?”
“This whole experience has made me much more vigilant.
“I cannot say that I leave my front door unless I am on point. I never relax. It has changed my life completely I would say.”
In the documentary, Olivia reads some of the messages out, including unsolicited sexual fantasies from men in their 20s.
Shirley added: “Some are so nerve racking that I can’t show you.”
Despite the abuse, Shirley insisted she still sees her role as a positive experience, and she is often overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback she gets.
She said: “I love this experience, the fact I can help all the charities. I love those channels that this job gives me but it also gives you this other side…
“For every ten awful messages I get, I will get 1,000 brilliant messages.”
Source: VacationHunter.Online