Yahoo News The darker side of Strictly as Shayne Ward hits back at trolls
Shayne Ward has fired back at trolls saying he was 'cocky' and 'overconfident' on Strictly
Strictly Come Dancing is all about family entertainment and can give celebrity contestant's careers a huge boost but unfortunately there is a dark side to being in the Strictly spotlight.
Some of the contestants are subjected to a torrent of unpleasant abuse online.
Shayne Ward is the latest celebrity to fall victim to online trolling as some people unfairly claimed he was "overconfident" and "cocky", with some writing: "If Shayne Ward was made of chocolate he'd lick himself" and "Find someone that loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself."
Ward put the spotlight on the darker side of the BBC show when he fired back at cruel comments on social media. He wrote on Instagram: "Strictly is amazing and I love being part of it. But through my smile on TV I'm as nervous as the next person. Not cocky or overconfident... I'm nervous! I just gotta work hard and listen to my wonderful teacher Nancy Xiu. All I can do is my best!"
Here are some of the Strictly stars who have borne the brunt of social media trolling in recent years.
Amanda Abbington
Amanda Abbington became the target of social media trolls since she went public with allegations of abusive behaviour against her professional partner in the 2023 series, Giovanni Pernice. Pernice has denied all of the allegations against him and Abbington's claims are currently subject to a full review by the BBC.
In an interview with Channel 4 News in July 2024, Abbington claimed she had been called a liar by social media trolls. She added: "I’ve had death threats day after day and rape threats day after day. Just because I said: ‘I don’t think this is acceptable behaviour'."
Speaking to ITV show Lorraine, she explained that her husband and daughter had also received similar threats. She explained: "I've got screenshot after screenshot after screenshot. In the end, it got so much I couldn't screenshot them all because it was really starting to affecting my mental health. I thought everyone wants me dead and wants me to die of cancer."
Read more: What Strictly stars have said about Giovanni Pernice amid Amanda Abbington claims (Yahoo Entertainment, 4 min read)
Layton Williams
Actor and singer Layton Williams was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 series, finishing as runner-up after a string of remarkable dances with his partner Nikita Kuzmin. But the star had an awful time online during his time on the show.
The Bad Education star's triumphant performances on the show were marred after he confessed he had been "overwhelmed" by "low key trolling" and appealed to online abusers to "be kind".
He wrote on Twitter: "The messages of love are overwhelming but as is the low key trolling. I'm just here to have fun like all the other contestants. I'm trying to handle this with a smile and determination to slay another day but reminder #BeKind"
Read more: Strictly star Layton Williams responds to ‘trolls’ (The Independent, 3 min read)
Shirley Ballas
Strictly's head judge confessed she almost quit the show over the abuse she has suffered from online trolls
The 63-year-old former Latin dance champion recently told Oliva Attwood in her ITV2 documentary about online trolling that the "abhorrent" sexually explicit messages and death threats she receives make her scared to go out in public.
Ballas said: "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 kind of messages. Are they lurking in dark corners? Are they hiding behind walls when you go somewhere?
"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."
The judge publicly addressed some of the online trolls that had been targeting her in 2022 over her scoring and decisions on the show.
She has since revealed she considered quitting Strictly altogether and has now handed over control of her social media to an assistant to distance herself from the trolls.
Read more: Shirley Ballas nearly quit Strictly as trolls left her in tears (The Independent, 2 min read)
Johannes Radebe
Professional dancer Johannes Radebe has revealed he was subjected to homophobia from trolls when he was part of the show's first all-male same-sex paring in 2021, with Bake Off star John Whaite.
South African star Radebe told Loose Women: “I did have a glimpse because you know what, there is good out there which was nice to see.
“But there was also backlash and it was just not nice to hear things like, ‘Do not come back to Africa because of who you are’ and stuff like that.”
Richie Anderson
The One Show's Richie Anderson admitted he was also targeted by trolls for being part of a same-sex pairing with Giovanni Pernice in 2022.
But the Radio 2 star was defiant, saying: “I don’t pay much attention to trolls online. At the end of the day, I’m doing something that I’ve always wanted to do and enjoying myself.
Read more: Strictly's Richie Anderson Has A Defiant Message For Trolls (HuffPost UK, 3 min read)
Jayde Adams
Comedian Jayde Adams stood up to the trolls that tried to body-shame her over her size when she took part in the show in 2022.
She hit back: "If there was something that wrong with me, I wouldn’t be able to dance six hours every day and lift Karen.
"Because of how stupid this logic is, I suspect their issues aren’t to do with me at all. But women always get it in the neck don’t they.
"I’m not ignoring it, I’m addressing it. The more I show resilience to it, the more other people will be able to and that’s useful I think."
Ellie Simmonds
Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds revealed she was targeted by trolls from the moment she was announced as a contestant on the show in 2022.
She revealed: "I’ve had it already. Some people have said, ‘How’s the dwarf going to dance?’ It’s sad and it does get to you.”
Read more: Ellie Simmonds highlights importance of disability representation on screen (HuffPost UK, 3 min read)
Dan Walker
News reader Dan Walker was clearly popular with many Strictly viewers after making it all the way to the quarter-final in 2021, despite not being one of the highest-scoring dancers, which meant he was kept in the show through the public vote.
But the former BBC Breakfast host revealed there was also a legion of trolls who targeted him with hateful messages for staying in the contest week after week.
Walker wrote on social media: "Thank you to everyone who is sending lovely messages & enjoying us having fun on #Strictly and to the few who say… “Just leave” “Aren’t you ashamed?” “You’re a disgrace” “It’s a fix” (which I don’t get) or “Who is voting for them?” IT’S A TV SHOW! See you in the 1/4 finals."
Will Mellor
Former Hollyoaks star Will Mellor admitted the trolls got him when he competed in Strictly in 2022 after they accused him of cheating by being a trained dancer.
The Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps actor said: I didn't even go to drama school. I wing everything. I've been winging acting for 46 years. I think people just like to find fault.
"[Someone was saying] I shouldn't be allowed to be in the show because after that first dance you can see I'm obviously a trained dancer, which is absolute nonsense. But you know what it's like on social media.
"People are being positive and someone likes to throw a negative curveball and that's the one that stands out."
Ugo Monye
Rugby player Ugo Monye competed in the show in 2021 and called out the "criminal" behaviour of online trolls targeting him and other stars of Strictly.
Trolls can be prosecuted under harassment law and malicious communication law if they are targeting hateful abuse at an individual.
Monye said: "All of us on Strictly sign up to be critiqued by the judges when we perform, but what no one signs up to abuse.
"It’s vile, and criminal actually. We saw it with Tilly [Ramsay], and unfortunately Oti {Mabuse] had it on Instagram, and Judi [Love] too, whether it be racist abuse or fat shaming."
Alex Scott
Retired footballer and TV presenter has a positive story about social media trolling as a result of appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC sport and The One Show presenter competed in Strictly in 2019 and saw a change to the type of messages she was receiving on social media.
Scott admitted she had previously been the target of racist and sexist abuse online and even been sent death threats.
But she said: "The support I’m receiving on the back of Strictly is super positive. It’s nice and refreshing. For them to message that kind of stuff rather than putting me down is really nice."
