Alex Scott says she "briefly turned to drink" due to online abuse.
Alex Scott reveals online abuse hell
The 37-year-old former footballer was devastated after receiving hate for her role on the BBC's coverage of the Tokyo Olympics last year and admitted it took its toll.
Alex also revealed that criticism from Lord Digby Jones left her devastated, after he tweeted: "Enough. I can't stand it any more! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her 'g's at the end of a word. Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin swimmin."
She told The Times newspaper: "I can slip into dark places. And once I slip into dark places, I don’t stop.
"I loved being out at the Olympics, but afterwards I realised the mad pressure that I’d put on myself to take everything – the trolling, the racism, Lord Digby Jones."
"I went into the Olympics knowing the scrutiny that I would be under once again from all the trolls. But then to open Twitter and see that from him, I was just like, 'I'm not going to be silent any more. I've had enough.'"
Alex also revealed she received death threats online, after she was inaccurately named as the new host of BBC sports quiz show 'A Question of Sport', explaining: "That was at a level that I was scared for my life. I was scared to leave my house to even go to the shop.
"That’s the stage that we’d got to – that, oh my gosh, someone black might be replacing a national treasure could cause such hatred."
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