Mike Bushell didn’t want ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ trolls to "get away" with cruel comments.
The ‘BBC Breakfast’ star – whose routines alongside pro partner Katya Jones were met with fierce backlash by some viewers during his run on the BBC Latin and ballroom competition – admitted he sometimes felt the need to respond directly.
He told Express.co.uk: "I did stand up to a couple because you think, ‘You shouldn’t get away with that.’ "
However, Mike – who previously revealed he received a death threat after winning the Halloween Week dance-off against Catherine Tyldesley – insisted he never actually felt like he was at risk.
He explained: "For every negative comment there was hundreds of positive ones. I never felt worried about leaving my house or anything because you don’t take them seriously."
And the 44-year-old sports journalist admitted he was just glad to know he could "raise" the bar when it comes to facing the challenge of the dreaded dance-off.
He added: "It was nice to know we could raise our game for the dance-off. That was an important little life lesson that you could do things under pressure."
Mike – who is currently on the road with Katya on the ‘Strictly’ live tour – was the seventh celebrity to be eliminated from last year’s series.
He said at the time: "I have had the most amazing nine or 10 weeks since we started training. I have lost a stone and half. I’m a guy in his 50s, I’m mentally sharper, I feel able to deal with pressured situations – thanks to the dance-offs!
"It has changed me completely and honestly I’m not going to stop dancing. My wife Emily has supported me all the way through and my daughters.
"My dad’s going to take up ballroom dancing and my mum has started Zumba – I want to thank all my family and the judges. I have all the comments framed around the house. Every moment has been an absolute honour and a joy. "
Mike Bushell needed to ‘stand up’ to Strictly Come Dancing trolls
