Alex Scott has revealed she was left too terrified to go out after racist trolls threatened to throw acid in her face.
The presenter, 40, opened up about the downsides of fame, including the abuse she received when she was incorrectly tapped to replace national treasure Sue Barker as the host of BBC’s A Question of Sport in 2021.
She wrote in The Times: ‘People were saying, “She’s only on TV because she’s black, female and younger. She’s just ticking boxes”‘.
Paddy McGuinness was in fact the new show host, and after 50-years on air only lasted two series under his leadership before being axed.
She went on: ‘I was scared to go out of the house because these trolls were saying they were going to throw acid in my face, but luckily there are other people who keep me smiling’.
Alex Scott, 40, has revealed she was left too terrified to go out after racist trolls threatened to throw acid in her face
The presenter, 40, opened up about the downsides of fame, including the abuse she received when she was incorrectly tapped to replace national treasure Sue Barker as the host of BBC ‘s A Question of Sport in 2021
‘They’ll come up to me in my local shop and say: “Keep going,’ and that’s what I do”‘.
Alex previously revealed that the abuse reached such an extent that she turned to alcohol, but later found therapy as an effective way to come to terms with the more extreme reactions she received over social media.
Earlier this year she admitted turning the hate into motivation to keep working and said her confidence had been boosted by her relationship with pop singer Jess Glynne.
The ex-footballer enjoyed a celebrated 13-year international career and dated her Arsenal teammate Kelly Smith for eight years, before meeting Jess, 34, last year.
Alex said: ‘I’m in this bubble at the moment… I am more open to accepting and being more vulnerable. I’m enjoying being like, “Okay, I’m just gonna roll with this.”‘
In an interview with Women’s Health magazine, Alex described it as ‘a bit of ammunition to keep going and celebrate because you’re rubbing people up the wrong way’.
The former Lioness said: ‘I’m gonna keep thriving, I’m gonna keep killing you with my kindness and doing my job to a level that you cannot stand.’
Alex was also targeted during coverage of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with crossbench peer Lord Digby Jones suggesting that she would benefit from lessons in elocution due to her East End accent.
She said: ‘People were saying, “She’s only on TV because she’s black, female and younger. She’s just ticking boxes”‘ (Sue Barker pictured on A Question Of Sport)
Paddy McGuinness was in fact the new show host, and after 50-years on air only lasted two series under his leadership before being axed.
‘I was scared to go out of the house because these trolls were saying they were going to throw acid in my face, but luckily there are other people who keep me smiling’.
The former government minister wrote on Twitter: ‘Enough! I can’t stand it any more! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word. Compeтιтors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin.’
Alex explained that while she is often able to take the comments from detractors online, that she found herself in a particularly vulnerable state following the Olympics.
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‘I can slip into dark places. And once I slip into dark places, I don’t stop. I loved being out at the Olympics, but afterwards I realised the mad pressure that I’d put on myself to take everything – the trolling, the racism, Lord Digby Jones.’
Last month, Alex said she is now ‘in the best place’ at 40, but admitted it hasn’t always been easy as she detailed her struggles with rejection.
Speaking to Hunger magazine she explained: ‘Sometimes people just see the end process, but not what it took.
‘The rejection, the people not thinking that I was good enough because of my accent and so forth.
‘That constant drive to prove people wrong has always been there from that young girl in Poplar.’
Reflecting back on her younger self she added: ‘that young Alex in the cage, she had dreams. She wanted to see the world. She could see there was a bigger picture and she didn’t want to be stuck in that football cage and think that was her life.’
Alex signed with Arsenal when she was only eight years old and later went on to become their captain.
After appearing in the Women’s Super League 140 times, the star retired from football in September 2017 and began putting her expertise to good use from the presenting chair on BBC Sport landing jobs at the Women’s World Cup.
