Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Trolls pushed me into therapy.. I’m grateful
TV’S Alex says death threats helped her
TV sports pundit Alex Scott has said the trolls sending her death threats actually “helped” as they made her seek out therapy.
The former England football star, 36, told how she sank into depression and turned to drink to cope with the abuse.
Alex said: “I love my job but it was all the stuff that was coming with it.
“Then my personality began to change. I was going into myself, I was drinking, I was depressed. sed.
“And then I went into nto therapy and learned skills ls like how to process it all, talk k about my feelings.
“Not just about TV but I learned about myself and life. Those bloody trolls pushed d me into therapy and I am so grateful ateful for it for pushing me on.”
Talking about her ordeal, l, she said: “I was getting death threats hreats and rape threats and I live on my own. I had no one to speak k to.
“I did not want my mum um to worry or people think I would uld not handle the business.”
BBC and Sky Sports star ar Alex, STAR Alex in action for England and
tipped to become the next Question of Sport host, also insisted employing her was not “box-ticking” and she had worked hard to get to her position as an accomplished host and pundit.
She added: “The amount of things [said] like I am ‘ticking a box’ because I am female or because I am black.
“It is just called working hard and it is not an overnight success. It is deserving your place to be there.
“I am not apologising a for someone who worked hard. I want kids to believe th there are opportunities to go and get them.”
Alex Alex, brought up by a single mum on a London estate, is also making a new TV show whe where she will look at her Jam Jamaican roots.
S She told Strictly’s Clara Am Amfo on her This City pod podcast: “I am going over to Jam Jamaica to understand because I still don’t know. “Besid “Besides her stories I really don’t know kn the history apart from mu music or the people I have met. That is what has given me my passion for life. I am someone who always wants to learn.”