Katja Mia has spoken out after Loraine Barry delivered a powerful message in her defence on Dancing with the Stars.
The Six O’Clock Show host was subject to cruel trolling last week, when she received a vile DM from a woman on social media that body shamed her.
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]
On Sunday night, Katja danced the Viennese Waltz with her pro partner Ervinas Merfeldas to Avril Lavigne’s Keep Holding On.
As judges Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Loraine Barry shared their commentary after the dance, Loraine took the opportunity to send a powerful message to viewers at home.
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.”
Katja got emotional on the show, telling viewers that it was “hard to get out there this week”.
During her post-dance interview, the 27-year-old praised Ervinas for helping her get through it, and said: “I don’t even know why I’m crying, I’m not an emotional girl but it means a lot…”
Katja later took to Instagram and admitted she didn’t expect to get so emotional on screen.
Sharing a photo of her and Ervinas, she wrote: “Wow. I don’t think either of us expected to get so emotional tonight, it’s so unlike me but I realised we were putting out an important message, not just for me but for a lot of us that feel the same way way.”
“This Sunday was extra special, I was definitely in my feelings but I’m glad I got out there and performed the best I could.
“We did each other proud, couldn’t do it without my amazing partner @ervinas_m,” she added.
