Tracy Beaker actress Dani Harmer claims she was fat-shamed while appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.
The BBC star turned heads on the show and made it to the final with dance partner Vincent Simone – eventually finishing fourth.
But she said her success on the show was tainted by the abuse she received about her weight online – despite being a size 6 at the time.
The actress admitted that she feels “sorry” for the trolls.
Speaking to Radio Times, she said: “I was like, ‘Holy moly, if I’m fat, God knows what other people must be thinking if they’re bigger than me!
Tracy Beaker actress Dani Harmer claims she was fat-shamed while appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 (Image: PA)
“That must be just horrible. I can think of things really logically and be like, obviously, I’m not fat, that’s ridiculous.
“This person, obviously, is just bored, or has something wrong with their life that they feel like this is the only way they can get some validation and I actually feel sorry for them.
“So I can kind of put it logically, I guess. But yeah, for kids it must be so hard.”
The BBC star turned heads on the show and eased to the final with dance partner Vincent Simone – eventually finishing fourth (Image: Getty Images)
Her comments come ahead of her reprising her role as Tracy Beaker on screens later this month, more 20 after she first played the character in the BBC show.
Dani previously told how she was thrilled to be returning to acting when news of her returning to the role in My Mum Tracy Beaker was revealed in August last year.
Dani’s comments come ahead of her reprising her role as Tracy Beaker on screens later this month (Image: BBC/Matt Squire)
She said: “I can’t wait to return again to the role of Tracy. I’m a fan myself. I want to know what happens next and where this journey takes her.
The actress also told how she’s brought her own skills as a parent to the role.
Dani explained: “I’ve definitely brought my mum skills with me, though Jess is a bit older than my daughter. My daughter’s only four but I thought back to how I’ve changed from pre-Avarie to now.
“Having a child changes you completely, your whole priorities change, your whole perspective on life. You realise what’s really important and I wanted to make sure that really came across with Tracy as well.
“Before she would get really angry over the smallest things but now her priority is Jess and she’s massively protective of her, maybe a little bit too much.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
