{"id":6135,"date":"2021-10-22T18:08:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T16:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1398440"},"modified":"2021-10-22T18:21:08","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T16:21:08","slug":"ugo-monye-says-strictly-co-stars-have-suffered-vile-abuse-its-just-totally-unacceptable","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/ugo-monye-says-strictly-co-stars-have-suffered-vile-abuse-its-just-totally-unacceptable\/","title":{"rendered":"Ugo Monye says Strictly co-stars have suffered \u201cvile\u201d abuse: \u201cIt\u2019s just totally unacceptable\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Emma Bullimore\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 22 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Strictly Come Dancing star Ugo Monye has spoken out to defend his fellow competitors from what he calls \u201cvile\u201d abuse.<\/p>\n

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/strong>, Monye mentioned Tilly Ramsay<\/a>, Judi Love<\/a> and his professional partner Oti Mabuse as having been targeted by trolls.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of us on Strictly sign up to be critiqued by the judges when we perform, but what no one signs up to abuse,\u201d said Monye. \u201cIt\u2019s vile, and criminal actually. We saw it with Tilly, and unfortunately Oti had it on Instagram, and Judi too, whether it be racist abuse or fat shaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love will miss this weekend\u2019s Strictly Come Dancing<\/a> after having tested positive for COVID-19<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve checked in with Judi since she got COVID and the girl is getting nasty messages while she\u2019s trying to recover, saying that she\u2019s opting out this weekend off the back of her being in the dance-off for two weeks,\u201d Monye said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me sad because the line is not blurred between criticism and abuse \u2013 there needs to be greater accountability for these people who want to live in the shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Strictly\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Judi Love<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Monye, who will be performing a rumba this weekend, was keen to distinguish between tough critiques from Strictly\u2019s judges and unprompted personal attacks online. \u201cI got a three from Craig for my first dance and that\u2019s absolutely fine, I probably deserved it! But abuse? Hell no. You can\u2019t target people and their characteristics, it\u2019s just totally unacceptable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has to be responsibility on social media companies to protect our humans, because on one part we speak about mental health so well, but then sometimes we seem to ignore it.\u00a0Everyone says they\u2019re tired of it, they\u2019ve had enough, but the conversation has got to lead to action and at the moment we don\u2019t see it.\u201d<\/p>

Monye returns to the dance floor tomorrow, after missing last weekend as a result of his back injury. He told us there was no way he would have withdrawn from the series completely though, no matter how much trouble his back was giving him. \u201cI\u2019m stubborn!\u201d he laughed. \u201cAnd I feel a sense of duty as well, because Strictly have been supportive in allowing me to have adequate treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to come back this week and put on a good show, to repay that support. So yeah, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be back, even if I was hobbling!\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more about Strictly Come Dancing<\/strong><\/p>\n