Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing 2021: John Whaite orders trolls to ‘pipe down’ as he jumps to defence of castmates
John has urged trolls not to ‘judge’ the stars taking part on Strictly (Picture: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing 2021 star John Whaite has issued a strong statement in response to vicious trolls, telling them to ‘pipe down’ as he defends his castmates.
While the BBC series is a heartwarming watch for people across the nation, there are some people who see fit to lash out against the celebrities and professional dancers with derogatory messages online.
Celebrities including Olympian Adam Peaty and former rugby union player Ugo Monye have spoken out against the ‘hateful’ and ‘vile’ comments that have been aimed at Strictly stars, with Great British Bake Off winner John speaking out in a new post shared on his Instagram Story.
In the post, he wrote: ‘If you’re trolling any of my Strictly pals (or anyone on the planet for that matter) let me ask you… What have you done today to be vulnerable?’
He continued: ‘What have you done today that is inspiring? What have you done today to push yourself out of your comfort zone?
‘If the answer is “nothing” then pipe down. Don’t judge a person before you’ve walked a mile in their (dance) shoes.’
Trolls, take note… (Picture: Instagram/@john_whaite)
On Sunday evening, social media star Tilly Ramsay and her professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin became the latest couple to be eliminated from the competition.
They had landed in the bottom two against CBeebies presenter Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu, who were saved by a unanimous vote from the judges.
Following the results show, BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker tweeted his gratitude to all the viewers who voted for him and his partner Nadiya Bychkova to make it through to the next round.
He also referenced a few unkind messages he has received, including one that read: ‘Just leave’ and another that said: ‘You’re a disgrace,’ as he emphasised: ‘IT’S A TV SHOW!’
There are now just five couples left in the competition as they prepare for this week’s quarter-final.
In addition to Dan and Nadiya, Rhys and Nancy and John and Johannes Radebe, the other quarter finalists are TV presenter AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington and EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.
More: Strictly Come Dancing
Over the weekend, Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo stepped in to guest judge for a second time, as Motsi Mabuse was absent after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
As Motsi said that she could only return to the UK from November 30, she’s expected to return to the panel on Saturday.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One.
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