Love Island’s Amy Hart has spoken out after trolls have taken issue with her upcoming appearance on BBC’s Question Time.
The television personality is set to join environment, food, and rural affairs secretary George Eustice, shadow child poverty secretary Wes Streeting, journalist Ella Whelan and Confederation of British Industry president Karen Bilimoria on tonight’s programme.
Fiona Bruce will host the episode, as per usual, and the panel will discuss the latest headlines that have dominated the news this week.
Nasty trolls, however, have already hit out at Amy’s spot on the programme, forcing the star to defend her place. Clearly, they’re oblivious that Amy actually interviewed Sir Keir Starmer about internet abuse just a few days ago.
‘Shudddersome that a Love Island contestant is the third best qualified political commentator appearing on QT tonight,’ slammed one.
Amy retorted: ‘You know I was only on Love Island for 5 weeks of my 29 year life?’
Another keyboard warrior came out of the woodwork though, and slated: ‘Can’t we just have experts instead of tv personalities. World obsessed with celebrity, it was better when they were known as household names, on a par with Jif and Andrex!’
However, another social media user jumped to Amy’s defence.
‘Isn’t the point of this to have people from the general public?’ they slapped back ‘Amy’s exposure to live TV and the media is an advantage as she knows how to conduct herself on a live TV debate. She is a woman of a generation not just a “TV personality”.’
Amy added: ‘Also my “specialist subjects” if you like, are the aviation industry, trade unions, food insecurity, food banks, young people, excluded freelancers and theatre.’
Ironically enough, Amy told an inquiry into influencer culture earlier this month that she did not believe sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were supportive enough when it came to trolling.
The 29-year-old former air stewardess with British Airways recounted the abuse she regularly receives online and said she was surprised many of the abusive private messages sent to her did not breach the sites’ community guidelines.
‘I am desensitised but I would say that the (social media) networks are not supportive enough when it comes to trolling,’ she said.
‘I have reported some messages before and they come back saying, “We have looked at it and it doesn’t break community guidelines” and I am like, “Look at that message!”
‘Look at this barrage of messages someone has sent me before 7 o’clock in the morning telling me how much they hate me, how awful I am, why everyone hates me, how ugly I am.
‘From a fake account as well, a trolling account, a burner account, and you are telling me that doesn’t break policy?’
Question Time airs tonight at 10.35pm on BBC One.
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