Laura Whitmore, who only recently hosted the ISPCC annual charity event, has opened up about her torment with bullies, both online and in person.
The presenter admitted that she has struggled with social media trolls, and believes anyone who makes nasty comments online and hides behind a screen is cowardly.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mirror, she said, “It’s very easy to say things when you’re hiding behind a screen. You’ve got Twitter trolls who can say anything under the sun and you see it happening to lots of people, and you have to realise that these people are hiding.”
The Wicklow native went on to say, “I’m at an age where I’m comfortable with myself. I know who I am.”
Laura revealed that even though she was bullied during her days in school, it is a different type of bullying to what young people see nowadays.
“I think I’m lucky in that when I was growing up, it was before Facebook and all that took off. It was a different type of bullying I would have experienced when I was younger,” she said.
The presenter went on to say, “I think every girl did. There’s always nasty comments or someone would say something about you. I do think bullying happens to all of us. It can happen to anyone.”
“It can happen to you in your work place, it can happen on Twitter or Instagram but when you’re younger, you’re just that little bit more vulnerable and you need to be protected,” she concluded.
Laura is currently spending some time in Ireland, where she has been hosting events such as the ISPCC luncheon and the Brown Thomas autumn/winter launch, attending Electric Picnic and meeting up with friends and family.
She is due to return to London later this week.