Katie Piper broke down in an emotional Instagram video on Thursday after exposing the torrent of hateful messages she received from women mocking her appearance at this week’s National Television Awards.
The 42-year-old Loose Women panellist, who survived a devastating acid attack nearly two decades ago, filmed herself sitting in her car after the school run to share the vicious comments that flooded in following her red carpet appearance at the star-studded ceremony on Tuesday evening.
Ms Piper lost sight in one eye and sustained severe burns to her face when her former boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, and his accomplice, Stefan Sylvestre, threw acid at her in 2008.
In the years since, she has built a hugely successful career in television.
Katie Piper broke down as she revealed the cruel comments she received about her appearance
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GETTY
On Tuesday, she joined her Loose Women co-stars at the NTAs, where the show had been shortlisted in the Best Daytime category.
Wearing a glamorous black dress on the red carpet, Ms Piper said she had felt “really nice” on the evening itself.
The abuse began after she gave an interview to Women & Home magazine, when her phone suddenly lit up with a barrage of cruel notifications targeting her looks.
One person commented: “What did she do with her face?”
The star was targeted with a barrage of abuse following her appearance at the National Television Awards
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GETTY
Another comment read: “Wtf is wrong with her face?” (Sic)
Recounting the abuse in her video, Ms Piper told followers: “The comments were going mad, and I thought, ‘Oh, why?’ and it’s just endless, like, ‘Urgh, look at her, what happened to her face? Oh, she’s overdone it on the filler.’
“‘Oh my God, why are we talking about the hair? The hair’s not the problem! That face!’ blah blah blah.”
She added: “I am a normal person; I am a real person. I’m just out here trying to do my best, trying to live my life, be a wife, be a mum, be a daughter.”
Ms Piper acknowledged that sometimes the cruelty made her consider “stopping it all and not putting yourself out there anymore”.
She pointed out that every abusive comment had come from women, telling them: “You’re saying to people that it’s an issue if you don’t meet beauty standards, and you are playing a part in creating a nightmare for all other women.
“This is your digital footprint, this is your legacy, this is what you are part of.”
Fans and celebrities were quick to fill her comments section with messages of support.
The presenter called out the women responsible for posting cruel comments about her appearance
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INSTAGRAM/KATIE PIPER
Actress and activist Jameela Jamil wrote beneath the post: “You are beautiful and so much more special than any troll online.”
Carol Vorderman called the trolls “ridiculous and pathetic.”
She also signalled plans to pursue legal protections for women targeted by online abuse, asking Ms Piper: “I’m starting something about it if you want to join me?”
Fellow Loose Women star Myleene Klass, who had been with Ms Piper at the ceremony, penned: “Your company, your energy, your funny one-liners…and you also happened to look incredibly BEAUTIFUL. They don’t matter. They’re trying to. They just don’t.”
Ms Piper spent seven weeks in hospital after suffering severe burns in the 2008 acid attack
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X/KATIE PIPER
Fans of the presenter also leaped to her defence. One fan commented: “This is just sooooooo inspirational! This is why I started supporting you eight years ago! You are the most inspirational woman on this earth!” (sic)
Another said: “You are beautiful. Don’t listen to the haters!”
“Katie, you are amazing,” penned a third fan.
Ms Piper captioned her post: “I know who I am, and who I am not, but do you know who you are?”
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