Shock abuse
Lorraine has opened up about social-media trolls – something she’s been a victim of herself and has experienced a lot over the years – and the damage they can cause.
‘I know from personal experience that you will get 99 comments saying how fantastic you are, but then you’ll get one saying you’re the worst thing imaginable – and that’s the one you take right into your heart. It’s like getting the soul sucked out of your body,’ she explained.
Even as recently as March this year, Lorraine was hit with a string of abuse from keyboard warriors after sharing her experience of getting her first COVID jab.
Fans of Lorraine will remember the star’s shock as she told Dr Hilary Jones during his appearance on the show how she was bombarded with extreme messages from those opposed to the vaccine, with one even telling her she was ‘going to die’.
She adds, ‘I feel so sorry for young people coming into the entertainment industry. I don’t know if they’re equipped to deal with social media. It’s got very dark – I’d have been destroyed if there had been social media around when I started out.’
Lorraine claims that bullying has taken a worrying turn, too, with the popularity of social-media apps.
‘I was bullied a little bit at school, and when I’d go home to my mum it would stop,’ she explains. ‘But now kids are bullied 24/7 on these bl**dy phones. It’s very easy to say, “Don’t look” but, of course, kids are going to look. They’ve grown up with these phones and they don’t know any different. I find it really sad. It’s really wrong when people hide behind that.’
‘IT’S LIKE GETTING THE SOUL SUCKED OUT OF YOUR BODY’