Rosie Jones says ableist trolls are 'scared of difference'
The Taskmaster star and comedian told Good Morning Britain that she didn't need to take the 'burden' of those abusing her online.
Watch: Taskmaster's Rosie Jones hits back at ableist abuse from social media trolls
What did you miss?
Rosie Jones has hit back at ableist abuse from cruel trolls, saying "I don't need to take their burden."
The comedian told Good Morning Britain that she made sure not to engage with abuse on social media, saying that people who targeted her were "scared of difference".
Jones quit X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this year after being targeted by vile comments which she said she had found hurtful.
What, how, and why?
Rosie Jones has enjoyed huge success as a comedian on shows including Taskmaster, The Last Leg, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, and her gameshow Out Of Order withe Katherine Ryan and Judi Love.
But the star has said she has been the target of cruel trolls and ableist abuse over her cerebral palsy, telling Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that she believed people making the comments were "scared of difference".
Host Richard Madeley asked Jones: "What do you think motivates somebody online to abuse and troll someone like you? What's going through their minds?"
She replied: "It's a very complicated question really and I think a lot of it is due to people being scared of difference. When I appear on TV, a lot of people haven't ever seen anyone who talks like me before. Difference, to some people, is scary.
"I am very good at social media. I keep it at an arm's distance, I take it with a pinch of salt, and I know that the abuse I get towards me, isn't always about me. It's about them, it's about their prejudices, it's their problem. I don't need to take their burden.
"So what I do is focus on doing my job to the best of my ability, making people laugh and living my life to the fullest."
What else has Rosie Jones said about trolling?
Earlier this year, Jones announced that she was quitting X, formerly known as Twitter, after being the target of ableist abuse.
Jones left the social media platform in May over vile comments in response to a viral question about which comedians people did not find funny.
She wrote: "I've not felt a lot of joy from this social platform in a long time, so to come on and see I'm trending, yet again, is exhausting. I could say comedy is subjective but the truth is the comments are hurtful. I used to love Twitter but I don't care for this centre of hate. Goodbye."
Before leaving X, Jones had previously spoken about dealing with the abusive comments made towards her.
"I’d be lying if I said it didn’t upset me, but luckily I am surrounded by such a strong network of brilliant friends, family, colleagues who support me," she told The Guardian.
"Do I need a thick skin? Yes, I bloody do. But I’m able to switch it off, I don’t look at social media when I’m on TV and I focus on the positives – on the people coming up to me saying ‘I’ve never seen disability portrayed like you do', or if they are disabled, coming up to me and saying: ‘Thank you for making us feel seen and worthy and valid'."
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV1 at 6am on weekdays.
Read more: Rosie Jones
Call the Midwife viewers hail Rosie Jones as a 'force of nature' in series 13 debut (Yahoo, 3 min read)
Rosie Jones has learned to 'focus on positives' amid online abuse (Yahoo, 2 min read)
