Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas revealed the vile online abuse she’s been subjected has left her fearing to leave her own home.

The head judge on the BBC show, who sits beside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, has previously addressed the trolls who have sent her abusive messages.

Shirley expressed her concerns on the new ITVX documentary Olivia Attwood vs The Trolls.

‘It’s when it is personal about myself and my family and it affects my mental health. I am not just talking about your phone,’ she told the former Love Island star, according to The Sun.

‘I am talking about being in public. You worry about those same strange people that write these kinds of messages.

‘Are they lurking in dark corners? Are they hiding behind walls when you go somewhere?’

Last year, Shirley hinted that the negative comments had almost made her consider quitting the show, after the trolls sent her thousands of ‘truly awful’ messages about her decisions to send contestants home.

‘Last year I was struggling. It wasn’t just a little bit, it was a lot – the majority of it was in silence,’ she said.

‘I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way. I’m a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.’

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Shirley told The Mirror that the negativity was the most she’s ‘ever experienced’, adding that the BBC was ‘brilliant’ at checking in on her and offering her counselling and support.

When asked whether she would consider quitting Strictly, Shirley simply said: ‘It was a difficult series, I’ll leave it at that,’ before remarking: ‘Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time.’

Shirley stressed that she ‘absolutely loves’ her role on the show, describing it as ‘rewarding’.

 Olivia Attwood vs The Trolls is available to stream on ITVX.

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