A series of consistently impressive displays with ballroom pro Gorka Marquez on Strictly Come Dancing have been overshadowed by equally consistent criticism from merciless trolls across social media.
And Alexandra Burke has referenced the negative reaction to her weekly performances on the hit show after being named amongst this year’s finalists on the long-running BBC show.
The former X Factor star, 29, expressed her frustration after being subjected to weeks of abuse on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram, where she has been slammed for perceived over the top behaviour and fake emotional displays, as she prepares for a difficult first Christmas without her late mother, Melissa Bell.
Hitting back: Alexandra Burke has slammed social media trolls for branding her fake and over the top on Strictly Come Dancing, despite a run of consistent displays with professional dancer Gorka Marquez
She told the Daily Mirror: ‘There have been days when I have broken down… It’s just a shame some people can’t see how hard I’m working – there’s nothing fake about that. Gorka and I know what the truth is.’
Alexandra previously admitted she struggled to cope ‘mentally’ with the relentless criticism of trolls during her stint on the hit show.
‘It got to a point where I was like, I can’t take any more mentally. It felt like a personal attack,’ she told The Telegraph.
The star, who will compete with partner Gorka in the grand finale on Saturday evening, has hit out on Twitter against trolls.
She wrote last week: ‘I’ve tried my best to just be strong and brush it all off but mentally it’s taking its toll.’
Burke also admitted the slew of nasty comments has left her feeling self-conscious because her ‘100 per cent genuine’ emotions are being called fake.
Ordeal: The singer has been accused of ‘fake’ crying over her late mum Melissa Bell (pictured) on the show and is failing to win over the public – having landed in the bottom two for the second week in a row last Sunday
Targeted: The X Factor star, who previously said the backlash is ‘taking its toll’, confessed the backlash felt like a ‘personal attack’
‘Twitter seems to have given people permission to be incredibly hurtful,’ she told Radio Times, this week. ‘They don’t seem to realise that I have feelings and get upset.’
‘The saddest thing is that I started the show completely myself – my joy and my tears were 100 per cent genuine, however much people said they were fake – but I’m now so self-conscious, I try not to react at all in case people say, “Oh, look, here are the fake tears again”.’
The Daylight Robbery singer, 29, went on: ‘I have struggled with some of the public reaction. I’ve never experienced anything like this.’
Can’t take it: ‘It got to a point where I was like, I can’t take any more mentally. It felt like a personal attack,’ she told The Telegraph
Overwhelmed: Strictly viewers accused Alexandra of ‘faking’ her tears last month, when she broke down crying on the show over her mum Melissa Bell’s death in August
Strictly viewers accused Alexandra of ‘faking’ her tears last month, when she broke down crying on the show over her mum Melissa Bell’s death in August.
After being awarded high scores from the judges, she began sobbing and admitted: ‘I just wish my mum was here.’
The Soul II Soul singer died after a nine-year battle with kidney disease in August – and Alexandra has spoken about her final moments for the first time.
She revealed that she held Melissa’s hand and played music to her as her mother passed away.
Heartbreaking: The Soul II Soul singer died after a nine-year battle with kidney disease in August – and Alexandra has spoken about her final moments for the first time
‘She died at four in the morning. She waited for me to drive home from Blackpool. I started playing her music and just held her hand. And she went,’ Burke told The Telegraph.
Alexandra revealed she wanted to quit Strictly but her aunt told her to go for it and pursue her ‘dream’ in Melissa’s honour.
She attended the launch of the show the same day – just hours after Melissa’s death – hiding her heartache as she danced down the red carpet.
Describing how she geared herself up despite her grief, she said: ‘I was sitting outside. The sun came up. Then I went home, showered and went straight down to the recording.’
Admitting it was the ‘hardest day of my f**king life’, she said she only told fellow contestant Aston Merrygold that day because he knew Melissa.
Gutting: ‘She died at four in the morning. She waited for me to drive home from Blackpool. I started playing her music and just held her hand. And she went,’ Burke told The Telegraph
The singer also confessed that she was ‘so angry’ that her beloved mum was gone, saying she couldn’t ‘understand’ why it had happened when the former star was only 53.
Burke wrote on Twitter after Melissa’s passing: ‘Mummy has always been my biggest supporter and was over the moon when I told her I was doing Strictly.
‘It was always a dream of hers that I would one day be part of the show and I know that she would have wanted me to carry on xx.’
Strong: She attended the launch of the show the same day – just hours after Melissa’s death – hiding her heartache as she danced down the red carpet
Getting through it: Describing how she geared herself up despite her grief, she said: ‘I was sitting outside. The sun came up. Then I went home, showered and went straight down to the recording’
The family said: ‘It is with the heaviest and saddest of hearts that the family inform you our beautiful, funny and loving mum, Melissa Bell has passed away.
‘Our beautiful mother gained her wings on Monday 28th of August 2017, a day that has changed our lives forever.
‘We will never forget her unconditional love, support, charisma, strength and courage throughout her life.
‘We are eternally proud and thankful to call her our mummy.’
Grief: The singer also confessed that she was ‘so angry’ that her beloved mum was gone, saying she couldn’t ‘understand’ why it had happened when the former star was only 53