Katja Mia has shared the sad reason why she refrains from posting about her personal life on social media.
During a new interview with the RTÉ Guide, the influencer opened up about dealing with online trolls – which came to a head when she appeared on Dancing With The Stars this year.
The Six O’Clock Show host was subject to cruel trolling during her time on the show, and received a vile DM from a woman on social media that body shamed her.
the Stars | Kyran O’Brien
The awful message read: “God help the poor professional dancer that uv been partnered with as not a chance he could possibly lift u above ground level with size of your thighs + body… poor guy pulled the last straw.” [sic]
After Katja shared a screenshot of the message online, DWTS judge Loraine Barry took the opportunity to send a powerful message to viewers at home during one of the live shows.
She said: “May I just take a moment. I’d like to send a message out to those who need to hear this. I am a world champion and I have the credentials to say this.
“Katja is a beautiful dancer and all ladies and men, whatever shape or size, they have the right to dance. And if you have a problem with that, it is your problem.”
Speaking to the RTÉ Guide, Katja said: “I mean, I get trolling on TikTok, I get trolling on Instagram. It’s nothing new.
“But I think at that particular moment, I was quite sensitive because we were at the height of the show.
“Everyone is working so hard. You’re being tested. You don’t have much time to see family and friends. When you’re tired and then something you might scroll across in the comments might just get to you that day.
“That week I was definitely extra sensitive, but trolling is something that I think a lot of people in the media will get on a weekly basis.”
“I think when you’re doing well in your life, there’s always going to be people that want to bring you down. They’re not happy.
“They might not know your story so they just want to look for any way to bring you down because they think you’re up on a high horse, but of course, you’re not.”
While Katja is used to the trolling at this point, she wants to shield her family and friends from it as much as possible.
“I’m still trying to be carefree and authentic and real; that’s just who I am. But I don’t put up much about my relationship or my family,” she explained.
“I’m already getting trolled for my body or my job, but I wouldn’t want them to come for my family because, obviously they didn’t put themselves out there.’
The 27-year-old also opened up about her relationship with her social media star boyfriend Daragh Curran, known as the Guinness Guru.
The couple have been dating since 2017, after meeting on the dating app Tinder.
“It’s great having someone that understands the industry you work in and someone you can get ideas from. He supports me as much as I support him,” she said.
“I think some people like having a partner who comes from a different world, which is also cool. He’s not involved in my world, but at the same time, he understands it. We don’t work together, but he gets it.
“That does make life a lot easier for us. I’m really happy that he’s just as ambitious as I am, and we share the same dreams.
“We both started from nowhere and appeared on social media or on radio for him, or TV for me. It’s been great.”
