Katie Piper made a defiant statement at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday night, wearing a daring red floral dress with cutouts, just weeks after online trolls mocked her appearance at the National Television Awards (NTAs). The 43-year-old former model, who was the victim of an acid attack in 2008, has faced persistent online abuse about her looks.
Trolls' Cruel Comments After NTAs
At last month's NTAs, Piper said she felt "really good" about her look that night. "I thought I looked really nice, I felt really pretty," the Loose Women star disclosed at the time. "I think I was even singing to myself, driving along."
However, the following day, trolls returned with cruel remarks despite her black dress. Piper elaborated: "The comments are going mad. I thought, 'Oh why?' and it's just endless. Oh, look at her. What happened to her face? Oh, she's overdone it on the filler. Oh my God, why are we talking about the hair, the hair's not the problem. The face, blah blah."
Background of the Attack
Piper was 28 when she was attacked, suffering severe burns to her face and blindness in her left eye. Her ex-boyfriend, David Lynch, was convicted of arranging for Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at her face. Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years for his role in the attack and for rape, while Sylvestre was also handed a life sentence with a minimum term of six years.
Despite her career flourishing as a writer and activist alongside television and radio work, Piper is regularly targeted by trolls because of the attack.
Pride of Britain Appearance
Judging by her latest appearance, Piper has no intention of letting detractors get the better of her. Ahead of the Pride of Britain Awards, she wrote on Instagram: "So excited to attend the Pride of Britain Awards and celebrate some truly inspiring people. An evening of extraordinary stories, courage and kindness."
Alongside the post, she shared photos from the red carpet, prompting an outpouring of support from her 1.3 million followers. One commented: "You are the Pride of Britain for everything you stand for. Beautiful inside and out." Another added: "This dress is a work of art, you look beautiful." A third said: "That's one of the prettiest dresses you've ever worn and you look beautiful in it." A fourth wrote: "You look so stunning, you are an inspiration."
A year after the attack, Piper established the Katie Piper Foundation, which exists "so that no one living with burns or traumatic scarring ever feels alone".
