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'IT'S BEEN HARD'
England ace and Strictly star Alex Scott reveals she’s having therapy to deal with evil internet trolls
STRICTLY’S Alex Scott has revealed how she is having therapy after suffering vicious social media abuse — but has the defiant message: “Don’t let the trolls win.”
The former England footballer was speaking at a special International Women’s Day event alongside TV presenters Davina McCall and Claudia Winkleman, where the trio inspired 130 schoolgirls to smash glass ceilings, break the mould and overcome life’s troubles.
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In an incredibly candid admission, she told how vicious trolls drove her to seek counselling — and revealed she is delighted that she took that decision.
Alex, 35, said: “The past year has been really hard in terms of trolling.
“It led me to go and seek therapy, to speak about it. And it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
“I would say I’m still on a journey. I’m still in therapy so I’m still learning how to communicate with my emotions more.”
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Telling how the trolling started last year, just months before becoming a contestant on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, she said: “At the start I was just trying to pass over it. But you see it.
“It’s easy for people to say, ‘Well why don’t you come off social media? Why don’t you not react to them? Why don’t you tell your family and friends?’
“But I didn’t want to tell my family and friends because I didn’t want to put that pressure on them, I didn’t want them to worry.
“I wanted to escape it when I was with my friends, I wanted to talk about something else.
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“Then there was a part of me that was fighting it, as I like social media. I love interacting with people, so why should I let them win by coming off social media?
“But it got to a point where it was too hard for me.”
Alex, who played as a right-back for Arsenal before getting a job as a top BBC pundit, spoke along with The Masked Singer judge Davina and Strictly’s Claudia to the 14-to-18-year-old schoolgirls, invited from London’s inner-city schools by The Sun and The Sun on Sunday.
The groundbreaking talk was held to celebrate tomorrow’s International Women’s Day.
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Alex, who grew up on a tough East London council estate, also revealed she became one of Britain’s most recognisable household names by staying true to herself, seizing every opportunity and taking the view that life’s hurdles only make you stronger.
She said: “We can have this perception of people that their path to the top is easy.
“There is always struggle, always failure along the way. But the main thing is that you deal with it, you become stronger from it and you use it to spur you on.
“I have to pinch myself because I used to watch Davina on Big Brother. I was a huge fan of Strictly before I went on that and I used to watch Claudia. I used to have dreams — but I would never think that it would be me.
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“I mistakenly thought there was no place for me on TV as I come from a council estate in Tower Hamlets.
“From a young age I had to go to speech therapy, I had hearing problems. Yet through football I found my voice — and I now talk to millions on TV.”
She started playing football as a child at a football cage at the end of her road, and was the only girl.
Being spotted at eight by Arsenal talent scouts was life-changing and set her on the path to success.
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What marked her out was that she was the one who worked her socks off and “didn’t let opportunity go”.
Alex began studying for a media degree while playing in the 2015 World Cup, even though she hadn’t excelled in the classroom and was at the top in her sporting career.
She said: “I have to admit, I struggled in school. I grew up in a household where I didn’t discuss when I was feeling down or how to deal with things.
“So that went into my school environment. But my teachers then sometimes thought something was wrong with me, that I had attitude. But I couldn’t express what was going on.”
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Alex has previously spoken about regularly receiving death threats from racist trolls after breaking into TV.
In an interview last year she revealed: “I had all of it — for being a woman on TV, for being a woman of colour on TV, that I’m ticking a box, death threats.
“I had the lot. But I’m still standing. All the time I thought, ‘No, I’m good at my job’. That’s why I did my degree, so no one can ever say I’m just there because I’m a tick in a box.”
But with the joys of success came the flipside of vile trolling. Alex encouraged girls to be open if they are bullied and to support each other.
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She said: “My advice is to speak about it. There’s no shame in it. Don’t think you’re the only one.
“There are different forms of bullying. I had a coach who never believed in me, he always talked down to me.
“But he had power over me. I wanted to be in that team and I was always trying to do everything to get there.
“But I stuck with it. I had to leave my club, Arsenal, because that one person in power was not allowing me to get to where I was trying to go to.
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"And I ended up coming back. Now when I look back, I think, ‘Actually, what you did to me made me stronger’. I look back and see it as part of who I am, it’s a part of my chapter.”
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Her biggest inspiration through it all is her mother, Carol McKee.
Wiping away tears before being hugged by Davina, Alex said: “We talk about inspirational women but actually my mum is absolutely everything to me.
“Just the strength that she’s shown . . . the courage. I wouldn’t be here without what she’s done for me in my life.”
'MY HUNT FOR A MATCH'
SINGLE Alex has told how she has signed up to Raya, the app used only by celebrities, models and “influencers” to find love.
By doing so she has joined other reported stars including model Cara Delevingne, F1’s Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Osbourne and actors Drew Barrymore, and Ben Affleck on the dating app.
When asked if any Premier League footballers had been in contact, she said with a grin: “There have been a few messages flying back and forth. But I’ve not been on any dates yet. I’m trying to find someone, so I don’t want to be throwing them under the bus by revealing who they are.
“I want to enjoy myself and have fun but it’s hard to meet someone.
“I’ve had conversations with Premier League foot- ballers – I work in football, doing interviews, but I’ve not had anyone then officially ask me out.
“What’s wrong with me, am I too intimidating?”
Alex, who won 140 caps for England, also revealed she is considering freezing her eggs, inspired by some of her pals who underwent the procedure recently.
She adds: “My two friends who had their eggs frozen keep saying, ‘Come on, Alex, you know you want kids, you seriously have to think about it now’.
“I need to sit down and have a proper think about it. I mean, time is going . . . and I definitely want children.”
While the footie pundit now gets greeted by fans daily, she also gets mistaken for another well-known face – Meghan Markle.
She says with a laugh: “I get mistaken for her all the time. One time I was at the airport, when this guy came running after me, asking if he could carry my bags.
“He was talking about her show Suits.
“That’s what prompted me to watch the series.”
Neil Jones and Alex Scott perform the Samba on Strictly Come Dancing
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