Nicola Adams is not "fazed" by the backlash over her 'Strictly Come Dancing' same-sex pairing.
Nicola Adams
The 37-year-old Olympic boxer will make history as one half of the first same-sex coupling on the BBC Latin and ballroom dancing competition, alongside professional dancer Katya Jones, but she won't let any negative comments stop her, as she has already been through "so much" in her life.
She told Radio Times magazine: "I've been through so much in my life. I've been through my mum and dad separating, domestic violence, back injuries, having to look after my brother when I was 13 when my mum had meningitis.
"So someone's going to comment on Twitter? It's nothing, it won't faze me at all. It's like - try harder. If they don't like it, they're going to have to deal with it or switch to another channel."
The BBC was hit by nearly 300 complaints following the news of the first same-sex pairing.
Nicola has also compared the backlash to the criticism she initially faced during her career in women's boxing.
She explained: "I'm expecting the same sort of thing I got with women's boxing in the beginning - there will always be some resisters, but once they know you're here to stay, they get used to it.
"Women dance together all the time in nightclubs. Traditionally I guess men and women would dance together when they were courting, so the older generation have that in their heads. They see it as a sexual thing rather than a sport."
What's more, Nicola has insisted she would never have signed up for the show if she was paired with a man, because she wants to set an example for others.
She added: "I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I wish I could say it's because I wanted to be a role model, but it didn't even cross my mind at the start. I think it's cool to let kids see someone who represents them, but for me it just felt more comfortable."
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