Strictly Come Dancing’s Alex Scott reveals she receives death threats from racist trolls
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Alex Scott has revealed how she receives death threats from racist trolls on a regular basis.
The England Lioness and football pundit has signed up to the new series of Strictly, and has been paired with Neil Jones.
But despite her success on the pitch and in front of the cameras as part of the BBC’s football coverage, Alex, 34, has to deal with relentless abuse from racist trolls.
Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, she revealed: “I had all of it – for being a woman on TV, for being a woman of colour on TV, that I’m ticking a box, death threats.
“I had the lot. But I’m still standing.”
One tweet still visible on Twitter tags Alex before the troll adds: “Your analysis is pathetic, embarrassing, and racist towards Chinese people!
“How is it the referee’s fault? You deserve to die immediately. I seriously hope and pray for that to happen NOW!!!!!”
Alex – who has played for the Lionesses 140 times as well as captained the Arsenal ladies team – admits the abuse has been tough, particularly on her mother and grandmother, who have been left terrified by the threats.
She said: “This past year has been so tough. The abuse I was getting on social media just for having an opinion on football.
“I was going through a hard time with it. It’s not that I wasn’t expecting it because I know how social media is.
“But it was over a prolonged period of time and the abuse was getting worse. And it was my mum worrying. That’s when it really got to me.”
The star is the bookies favourite to win the series, but speaking ahead of tonight’s launch show, she said she was trying to ignore the odds.
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She said: “I’m trying to ignore it because I think when the show starts that might change.
“When I get messages from my friends saying “do you know you’re the favourite?” I’m like “shut up!” But I think I’m only the favourite because of the Sport Relief one.
“And in the Sport Relief one I was up against Chris Kamara who had a bad back and couldn’t train and David Ginola who flew in the day off and Karen was trying to teach him. So I had a couple of days with Pasha so I was always going to stand out!”
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