Katie Piper has revealed the hideous comments she received from women about her appearance at the National Television Awards, saying she knows she is 'not the prettiest' but is living her life to the fullest. The Loose Women star, 42, who was blinded in one eye and suffered facial burns after an acid attack by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lunch and accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008, shared her distress in an Instagram video on Wednesday.
Piper attended the star-studded ceremony on Tuesday night with her Loose Women colleagues, who were nominated for Best Daytime. She wore a glitzy black dress and felt 'really nice' on the night, but the following morning, after dropping her children off at school, she sat in her car and revealed the vile messages she had received.
Red carpet interview triggers abuse
Piper explained that she had given a red carpet interview to Women & Home magazine, and suddenly her phone was 'popping off with notifications'. She told fans: '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 continued: 'And you're just like, 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…' The presenter added: 'I know I'm not beautiful, I know I don't look like you, I know I'm not the prettiest person on your Instagram and usually I don't care. This is my life, this is the life that God intended for me and I'm living it to the fullest. But just occasionally, you just feel like… not giving up, that's the wrong word, but just stopping it all and not putting yourself out there anymore. It just makes you think, why are you doing this to strangers on the internet?'
Abuse came from women
Piper went on to reveal that all the abuse came from women, who she stressed are only making life harder for all women with their cruelty. She said: '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.'
The ITV star captioned the post: 'I know who I am, and who I am not, but, do you know who you are?' Her post was flooded with supportive messages from hundreds of followers, including activist and actor Jameela Jamil, who wrote: 'You are beautiful and so much more special than any troll online.'
Co-stars rally in support
Carol Vorderman told Piper she was being 'too kind' to the trolls and confirmed she is planning to take action. She said: 'They do and say it all with intention. It's abuse and they know it and they don't care. They know exactly what they're doing and their purpose is to damage. They are ridiculous and pathetic. And this new (ish) manner of abuse needs sorting legally so that ALL women have some sense of protection. I'm starting something about it if you want to join me?'
Her Loose Women co-star Myleene Klass added: 'Katie. I was with you that night and I was over the moon to be with you. 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 x'
Piper, who has inspired countless people since the 2008 attack, has carved out a hugely successful television career. The abuse she faced highlights the ongoing issue of online trolling, with Vorderman suggesting legal action to protect women from such harassment.
