Katie Piper became visibly upset on Thursday as she revealed the impact of vile abuse she received from female trolls following her appearance at the National Television Awards. The TV personality, who suffered severe facial burns and blindness in one eye after an acid attack in 2008, shared her emotional experience in a video posted online.
Piper, 42, attended the awards ceremony looking radiant in a slinky black dress alongside her fellow Loose Women stars. However, shortly after a red carpet interview, she found herself subjected to numerous negative comments on her appearance. In the video, she recounted messages that cruelly targeted her face and stated, "I know I'm not the prettiest." This reflection left her heartbroken, despite receiving an outpouring of supportive comments from fans and friends who insisted she was "beautiful inside and out."
"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," Piper explained. She emphasized her identity as a normal person trying to live her life as a wife, mother, and daughter, and questioned the motivation behind such harsh online criticism.
Piper shared that she made the "mistake" of replying to some of the comments, noting that they were all from women. She questioned why women were "policing women's appearance," arguing that such comments were damaging not only to her but to "every single woman that sees these comments." She added, "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."
Her impassioned post garnered thousands of supportive messages from fans and fellow celebrities. Natalie Pinkham expressed her dismay at women targeting other women and thanked Piper for her message. Dianne Buswell called her a "super woman" and beautiful, while Rachel Stevens described her as an inspiration. Linda Lusardi praised Piper's courage and beauty, and Dannii Minogue encouraged her not to let the negativity diminish her light. Myleene Klass, who was with Piper at the event, attested to her beauty and positive energy, stating that the critics "don't matter."
Piper has a long history of recovery and advocacy following the 2008 acid attack, which necessitated over 400 operations. She has since dedicated her platform to inspiring body positivity and supporting burns survivors and disfigurement victims through her charitable foundation.