Katya Jones: Strictly star deleted her Twitter account after Mike Bushell online backlash

Katya Jones, 30, spoke about her social media silence on BBC Breakfast yesterday after deleting her Twitter account due to the abuse she was receiving from online trolls.

When it’s not in front of you, it doesn’t exist so I just got rid of it

Katya Jones

Katya was partnered with BBC sports presenter, Mike Bushell, who was voted out on Sunday after he lost the dance-off to Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and her dance partner, Giovanni Pernice.

Before his elimination, he managed to survive three dance-off’s, leaving fans bewildered and reeling as some of their favourite celebrities were sent home.

Appearing on the breakfast show alongside Mike, the pair chatted with Dan Walker, who asked Katya whether she’d been affected by the abuse.

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The Russian dancer revealed she was ambushed with vicious comments from unhappy viewers, which eventually led to her deleting her Twitter account.

“In the beginning there was hard days, with people saying things, so I just deleted the Twitter and it was brilliant after that.”

“When it’s not in front of you, it doesn’t exist so I just got rid of it.”

But they weren’t the only celebrities who were targeted by malicious trolls.

Head judge, Shirley Ballas was also hit with abuse after her decision to save Mike and Katya over Catherine Tyldesley and her pro dance partner Johannes Radebe on Halloween week.

She was forced to make a “tough” decision as there was a tie between the four judges.

Viewers hit the roof that the “dad dancer” had made it through another week, even calling the show a “fix” because of Mike’s affiliation with the broadcaster.

However, Shirley chose to send him home instead of Michelle in his fourth week running in Strictly’s bottom two on Sunday.

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After his departure from the show, Shirley expressed her admiration for the BBC presenter’s attitude in her Hello! Magazine column.

She wrote: “I made sure to speak to Mike afterwards though and tell him how much I admire him.

“After everything he’s been through, including online trolling and death threats, he still had his head held high week after week and tried his best,” she praised.

“He came in with grace, he danced with grace and he went home with grace – he showed everyone what a true professional looks like.”

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Mike’s wife, Emily also appeared on BBC Breakfast via video link last month to discuss the abuse her husband was receiving, calling it “unnecessary” and pleaded for it to stop.

Sadly for Mike and Katya, it wasn’t meant to be as their dancing journey came to an end last weekend.

But it isn’t the last viewers will see of them as they’ll be back in the ballroom for the Christmas special and he will be joining the Strictly tour that starts in January.

As the leaderboard get shorter each week, we’re only weeks away from finding out who will lift the Glitterball Trophy this year.

Strictly Come Dancing continues this Saturday on BBC One.

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