Shirley Ballas has revealed she received a shocking death threat which depicted her digging her own grave and branded her an ‘old witch.’
The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 60, told how a death threat was hand-delivered to a theatre where she was performing in pantomime in an excerpt from her new autobiography, Behind The Sequins.
But Shirley said she refuses to hit back at trolls over fears for their mental health, following her brother David’s suicide aged 44 in 2003.
Horrifying: Shirley Ballas has revealed she received a shocking death threat which depicted her digging her own grave and branded her an ‘old witch’ (pictured November 2019)
She wrote: ‘This one showed a figure of me digging my own grave, with the message, “Do you realise how much you are hated?”
“The country hates you. How did they ever give a job to someone like you, you old witch”.’
The dancer said her upbringing on a ‘tough housing estate’ and years of bullying the the dance industry have given her an ‘exterior shell as hard as a hob-nailed boot.’
The star also discussed her decision to never hit back at trolls in honour of her late brother David.
Pantomime: The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 60, told how a death threat was hand-delivered to a theatre where she was performing in pantomime in an excerpt from her new autobiography, Behind The Sequins (pictured in Jack and the Beanstalk in December 2019)
‘If I can do good for someone by reacting like this, then I feel I’m doing my bit to protect and honour his legacy.
‘It’s my way of trying to create something positive out of the biggest sorrow of my life.’
Shirley’s brother David took his own life in December 2003, aged just 44, after a battle with depression.
In January 2020, Shirley revealed an abusive message which had been sent to her as she performed in a production of Jack And The Beanstalk at Darlington’s Hippodrome.
Shirley, 59, said she found it ‘quite upsetting’ to be branded a ‘gob*****’ and ‘a******e’ but urged her fans to ‘be strong’.
Loss: Shirley said she refuses to hit back at trolls over fears for their mental health, following her brother David’s suicide aged 44 in 2003
The horrible message, addressed to ‘Gob*****’, read: ‘S*******. Could u during your gob******* performance remove your head from your huge fat a******e. By all means on completing your gob******* replace your head up your a*******. Thanks…
‘It was a very sad day when u were appointed a judge on Strictly. A very sad day’.’
In revealing the abuse in a video on Instagram, Shirley referred to the bullying she received during her latest appearance on Strictly but urged fans to stay strong if they face abuse.
She said: ‘Good morning everybody on countdown now [to the] last few shows at the Hippodrome.
Shocking: In January 2020, Shirley revealed she was sent vile hate mail as she prepared to perform in panto
Nasty: The horrible message, addressed to ‘Gob*****’, read: ‘S*******. Could u during your gob******* performance remove your head from your huge fat a******e
Crafty: The message was sent to Shirley as she performed in Jack And The Beanstalk in Darlington
‘As we know I had quite a lot of bullying on Strictly this time and my Inbox on insta was full of horrific and horrendous messages. But this has gone a step further now so I’ve had a hand delivered message which I’m going to share with you.
‘Hand delivered to the hippodrome addressed to me with not such nice comments or words or whatever and my message is for the young people, anybody out there who receives awful messages or hate mail or things from people that don’t know them.
‘The issue is the other person’s issue it’s not so much ours. Even though i still do find it quite upsetting to have to go and perform and then read something like this from somebody who doesn’t even know me.’
She added: ‘So the message out there today is be strong going into 2020, really really love yourself and don’t be phased by the bullies.’
On posting the message, Shirley was immediately swamped by supportive messages, including from Strictly professional dancer Ian Waite.
He wrote: ‘This is horrible and all i can say is you’re amazing Shirley, keep doing what your doing and ignore the haters Love you xxxx.’
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
‘It’s so personal’: In November, Shirley revealed she has been subjected to more online bullying and death threats during the then current series of Strictly than she had suffered in previous years