Katie Piper says she tackles web trolls by showing kindness – because they are being driven to spew hate by their own pain.
The brave acid attack survivor was called “repulsive” and “ugly” this year as she shared images of her recovery from an eye op.
But she reckons only damaged people deal out such sick insults – and the best way to hit back is to post uplifting messages.
Katie, 37, said: “There’s a really good affirmation for it – hurt people, hurt people. They must be hurting to feel so angry.
" If you can have empathy for whoever is spewing nasty comments, you have an understanding. It makes you more untouchable.”
Songs of Praise host Katie has had more than 400 procedures since her 2008 acid ordeal.
Her ex Daniel Lynch, 44, is serving a minimum 16-year sentence for plotting the horror while attacker Stefan Sylvestre, 32, was freed after nine years.
Despite ongoing abuse, Katie thinks the world has chilled a bit as a result of the pandemic.
“When I’m out and about, I find I’m much kinder and chatty now,” she says. “It’s softened a lot of us. The pandemic made us kinder.”
Katie – who has Penelope, two, and Belle, six, with hubby Richard Sutton – also enjoyed the slower pace of life in lockdown and said it gave her more time for her passion of crafting.
Katie has now teamed up with smart cutting machines maker Cricut to urge people to create handmade gifts featuring her inspirational messages.
She said: “Crafting has given me purpose when I couldn’t work. It’s been so beneficial to my mental health.
“It’s about spreading kindness. In lockdown, I felt so powerless and helpless to other people’s pain.
"So I spread my affirmations. I use them all the time, I have them all around the house.”
