Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I had a lot going on ..it’s overwhelming
Attacker parole affected dance
KATIE Piper believes her poor show on the dance floor this week was due to “things outside of Strictly”, as she comes to terms with her acid attacker’s recent release from prison.
The upset on her face as the judges laid into her routine, danced to an Adele ballad, was plain for all to see.
The 34-year-old said she has now asked for upbeat songs for routines instead.
Katie, who was stunned to learn Stefan Sylvestre was granted parole nine years into a life sentence for carrying out the horrific acid attack on her, said: “When the lyrics are emotional, that’s tough.
“I have been having lots of things going on in my personal life, legal things, and I think it [dancing] became psychologically overwhelming for me.”
Sylvestre threw acid at Katie in 2008 on the orders of her jealous ex David Lynch. The pair were jailed for life in 2009. But when she heard Sylvestre had won a bid to be freed, Katie spoke of
how the thrill of getting a place on Strictly would give her another focus. She said: “Whilst there is never a good time to hear this, I have this new journey to concentrate on.”
But her first week’s performance with Gorka Marquez did not impress the judges. Mum-of-two Katie was tearful as Craig Revel Horwood branded it “stompy” and “plank-ish”. He gave her two points, Shirley Ballas three and Darcy Bussell and Bruno Tonioli four each. But she got through with the public votes. She said: “Big thank you to everyone who voted. I’ve got a lot of work to do, and hopefully some closure of things happening to me outside of Strictly.” Katie also told how learning a new skill on Strictly has affected her concentration at home. She said: “I’ve had sleepless nights. There’s so much to think about. “I get really emotional on Mondays and Tuesdays, it’s always then I want to storm off in a tantrum and cry because it’s a new routine and song, it’s so overwhelming. “In my normal life I hate being c**p at things, but I’m not a natural dancer and don’t have a background in it, so I am starting at the bottom. I don’t like to fail.”