Anna Nolan has revealed she was subjected to vile homophobic abuse while walking home in Dublin on Monday night.
The Great Irish Bake-Off presenter was heading home in the Kilmainham area when a group of male teenager started to heckle her.
“I was walking home alone and four lads, aged about 14 or 15, started shouting at me,” she said.
Confrontation: Anna told off a group of male teenagers who heckled her | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I decided I wasn’t going to stand for it. I wasn’t in the mood and I didn’t feel threatened so I knew that I was safe enough to confront them.
“I asked them why they would try to intimidate a woman like that and how would they feel if lads did that to their sister or mother?
However, when the TV star went to walk away, they started to shout at her again, but Anna was determined to show them the error of their ways.
“When I went to walk away, they started shouting more abuse at me,” she told The Herald.
Not ok: Anna let the boys know their behaviour was not acceptable | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I just kept going back, I went back and kept asking them why they would do this,” said the Rialto native.
“I said to them ‘you are making me feel nervous and uncomfortable and a little frightened. I wanted them to know this is not acceptable behaviour.
“I was focusing on the ringleader because he kept shouting every time I turned around.
“I said to the other boys, ‘Why are you hanging around with this idiot?’”
Enlightened: Anna showed the boys the error of their ways | VIPIRELAND.COM
“After four or five times, I think I got my message across and I felt enlightened,” Anna told the Herald.
“So many women just put their heads down and don’t say anything when lads are shouting at them and it’s so unfair.
Anna revealed the best part of the experience were the positive comments she received on social media for letting the teens know their behaviour was unacceptable.
“I got so many appreciative and ‘good on you’ messages from people. Some people told me I shouldn’t have confronted them but I am savvy enough and I know when it is smart to walk away,” she said.
“I just really wanted to get the message across and let these young lads know that this is not acceptable.
