Rachel Riley has hired a bodyguard after feeling `terrified’ at the hatred projected towards her over Israel’s response to the Hamas terror attack.
The TV presenter was seen last week leaving Countdown’s studios in Manchester with celebrity protection officer Billy Robinson who has looked after actress Michelle Keegan and Coronation Street star Barbara Knox.
Mum-of-two Rachel’s decision to hire protection came she experienced firsthand people celebrating Hamas’s attack on Israel that left 1,400 dead. The 37-year-old star, who is married to former Strictly professional dancer Pasha Kovalev, was dining in a restaurant on October 7 when she witnessed pro-Palestinian locals dancing in the street.
READ MORE: Rachel Riley fumes as she’s confronted by lads celebrating terror attack on UK streets
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In an interview she said: “Sometimes I go online and I’m terrified by this overwhelming amount of people who seem to be baying for blood. For me and my Jewish friends the pain and stress are something we are all struggling with.
(Image: Instagram/rachelrileyrr)
“We are crying when we wake up, we are struggling to sleep and the images of carnage are hard to get out of your head.” Last week she appeared on BBC2’s Newsnight to discuss the recent sharp rise of anti-Semitism in the UK.
In 2018 she was criticised after campaigning against how Labour, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, had handled allegations of anti-Semitism. She said she had been branded ‘brainwashed’ and ‘thick’.
(Image: Channel 4)
Rachel recently spoke at the Women of the Year Awards and said that acts of terrorism cannot be condoned. She added: “We mustn’t accept terrorism wherever it comes from. My heart breaks for all the families in the world, who are subject to horrible politics and extremism.”
(Image: Channel 4)
The TV star encouraged people to ensure things don’t divide the public. She continued at the event: “I’m so passionate about projects like these that bring people together. That have people in person speaking to each other.
“That’s the way forward. And we just have to continue to remind ourselves why we do things and what we want to achieve.”
Rachel was awarded an MBE for services to Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism, which was recognised at the event.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
