I’m A Celebrity stars Jack Vidgen and Abbie Chatfield shocked the campmates with their recent revelation about abuse they’ve encountered from online trolls.
WATCH: I’m A Celebrity’s Abbie and Jack talk about trolls
Speaking candidly to the group, the pair reflected on how they deal with the hurtful comments posted online from haters who criticise them for simply being themselves.
“They play on the gay thing, they play on the looks thing,” Jack, 23, admitted to Abbie, who added she’s been on the receiving end of brutal attacks, which focus on her looks.
“It just breaks my heart that Jack gets trolled, particularly because he would have been trolled since he was a kid.” Abbie, 25, told producers.
“I was 23 when I started getting trolled, so I was pretty much okay, but Jack being a kid when he started to get that attention, and still having it to this day, I understand why he’s so ‘I just have to block it out’ – I totally get it.”
Following their shock revelation, fellow campmate Toni Pearen – affectionately known as ‘mum’ to the pair – weighed in on their confession, which she said broke her heart.
“You can’t even imagine what it would do to them,” Toni told New Idea, referring to the barrage of criticisms the pair have been forced to endure over the years.
“Knowing who they are now and how sweet and sensitive and hard-working they are, I just don’t think anyone has the right to judge anyone else,” she said.
The former E Street star went on to say that she finds the unwanted trolling especially hurtful given the struggles Jack and Abbie have encountered in life.
“We revealed things to each other that I’m so honoured to know,” she said.
“I think trolling is a weak man’s game, it brings people down for their own gain and I don’t think any good comes out of it – it just breaks my heart.”
While Toni mostly receives positive reactions from fans, she admitted it only takes one negative comment to ruin her day, saying: “It’s funny how you do obsess about it.
“I’m 48-years-old and I still obsess about the one bad comment, and no matter how many times you tell yourself to not pay any attention to it, it still does, it harps on you.”
Toni then gave a shout out to Jack and Abbie, who she credited for being resilient, saying: “They are stronger people than I could ever be.
“For them to have gone through the things they have and continue to be rays of light it’s just extraordinary – I love them,” she said.
I’m A Celebrity continues on Wednesday at 7.30pm on Ten.
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