Katie Piper has hit back at online trolls who flooded her with cruel comments about her appearance after she walked the red carpet at Tuesday’s National Television Awards.
The Loose Women star, 42, posted an emotional video to Instagram on Wednesday from her car, revealing that her phone had exploded with vicious messages while she was still at the event. Piper, who was blinded in one eye and suffered severe burns across her face in a 2008 acid attack orchestrated by her ex-partner Daniel Lynch and carried out by accomplice Stefan Sylvestre, said she had felt “really nice” in her glittering black gown and chic blonde updo before the onslaught began.
Piper explained that the abuse started after she did a red carpet interview with a publication. “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 shared on Instagram.
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 TV personality and author became visibly emotional as she told followers: “I know I’m not the prettiest.”
Piper went on: “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.”
She added: “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.”
The abuse carried a particular sting because every nasty message came from women, Piper revealed. She told her Instagram followers that these commenters were “creating a nightmare for all other women” who didn’t fit conventional beauty standards.
“This is your digital footprint, this is your legacy, this is what you are part of,” she added in the clip.
Piper captioned the emotional post: “I know who I am, and who am I am not, but, do you know who you are?”
The response from fellow celebrities was swift and supportive. Dannii Minogue wrote in the comments: “Katie – you, your words, your kindness and your digital footprint, you can be proud of. By all means take time for you, but do not let them take your light.”
Myleene Klass, who had been with Piper at the NTAs as a fellow Loose Women star, fired back at the trolls directly: “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.”
S-Club 7 star Rachel Stevens added: “You’re such an inspiration xxx.”
Piper’s appearance at Tuesday’s ceremony came as she and her Loose Women co-stars were nominated for Best Daytime at the NTAs. The acid attack survivor has undergone countless surgeries since 2008 and has been widely hailed as an inspiration for her willingness to speak publicly about her experiences and advocate for others.
The 2008 attack, which left Piper with life-changing injuries, occurred when her ex-partner Lynch arranged for Sylvestre to throw sulfuric acid in her face. She has since built a career as a television presenter, author, and campaigner, founding the Katie Piper Foundation to support people with burns and scars.
Piper’s post has since been flooded with messages of support from fans joining the chorus of celebrity defenders.