Well - I DID hear the interview on Radio 1.

It's outrageous to suggest this is a sob story ploy for more votes! How ridiculous.

I'm mixed race and I suffered horrendously from racial bullies at school. I totally emphathised with Ricky's story - it wasn't over sensationalized in any way.

Floopy123 - being bullied does not equate a 'bad upbringing' - I'm sure Ricky's parents did their best to give him a loving family home.

Like others - I can't believe that such a serious subject as bullying is being used to create another Ricky bashing thread.

I think it's great that he talks publicly about it to raise awareness - and to let kids who are being bullied right now that they can overcome it and acheive amazing things like Ricky has.

Ricky blinking would provoke a hostile response from this forum - some people just have it in for him - for no justifiable reason really, hey not unlike bullying, a bit pathetic really.

From what I've read with his dad being in the RAF he never spent more than 3 years at any one school I'm sure that couldn't have helped him on the bullying front

Sympathy vote plea. :yawn:

Have even read this thread it's part of Radio 1's ongoing campaign against bullying

Well said, katkim, well done, Ricky.

Well didn't your spiteful little innuendo backfire OP!

Exactly every day someone starts up something to have a go at him for. Everything he says and does is wrong.

Well done to Ricky and anyone who can help with bullying its really hard for kids today and its a big problem.

Good luck Ricky for tomorrow.

I'm not a huge fan, although I do find myself warming to him, but of one thing I'm sure - speaking out against bullies is not a ploy nor is it calculated to capture the sympathy vote.

I pity the cynics: how sad never to see beyond irrational dislike, but automatically regard Ricky's motives with suspicion without ever questioning one's own logic.

Are there no depths Ricky bashers won't sink to?



Don't waste your time. I think we now know why Ricky is the least popular celeb on the show, despite the fact he's the best dancer. They've shown their true colours. It's sad because you can tell Ricky was bullied when he was a child because he's always putting himself down.

I do hope you are not suggesting that anyone who doesn't like Ricky is racially motivated to do so? Because that simply isn't true, hopefully I've just misconstrued that sentence.

People also get bullied for a multitude of things, all things outside of their control.

Being bright, not wearing the right clothes, hanging out with the geeks, being overweight etc etc. I'd like to think that the biggest kick in the teeth for all those who bullied Ricky would be seeing what a success he has become whilst they no doubt have continued to perpetuate their sad little ways into adulthood!

this is a transparent attempt to get the public on his side. I just find that anyone who stars in Hollyoaks appears to have had their personality 'bland-ified' if there is such a word.
And Whittle's dance partner is even duller in the charisma stakes. Bored by them, to be honest, and I think the judges have over-cooked telling us how great they are. Apart from the Quickstep, they've not done a routine yet that has impressed me.

I am not a RW superfan but I can appreciate his talent with his dancing. His partner Natalie I find very scary. Very much like the schools games captain <shiver>.

If he helps one child by his statement on his experiances of being bullied as a child then what can be wrong in that?

again read the thread it is part of Radio 1's campaign to stop bullying many other people have taken part

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bullyproof/

http://www.beatbullying.org/

I think it would be better if some celebs admitted to having BEEN bullies and getting into trouble or now feeling very ashamed and apologising.

I think it might work better as a campaign. This just makes Ricky look a bit wimpy and some people even think it's a ploy. I don't. He's more likely to lose votes because it's better to do the stiff-upper-lip thing and be a brave soldier if you want to appeal to the public.

Sorry that he was bullied but I still can't take to him.

Spot on.... OP has probably crawled back in embarassment into their little hole

Oh, very helpful. Ricky looks 'wimpy' because he's been bullied? Nice message to send to all the thousands of kids who are suffering from bullying right now.

Ricky was probably asked to do this campaign as he is high profile at the minute - and a good role model. What's he gonna say - no, it'll make me seem wimpy and I don't want people to say it's all a ploy?

It really doesn't matter whether you like him or not. It's a valid cause and one that should be brought to attention. If children who are being bullied can see someone like Ricky coming through it with flying colours then maybe they will see some light at the end of the tunnel.

The "wimpy' thing is more to do with the "my football injury" comments.

I'm sure the bullying business was organised long ago. Anti-bullying week is an annual non-event. This year the focus was on cyber-bullying so I'm not sure how high profile Ricky was meant to be.

I didn't know he was bald. He just looks like a handsome bloke to me. Hey, he felt bad. I have to deal with bullying every day. You do feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall.

Why can't people stop teasing each other? I have no answers. And Ricky just hasn't clicked with me. Natalie even more so. My problem - not theirs.

Sensible post if I may say so.

What was wimpy about his football injury comment?

Phil didn't go on about his bloomin' operation and Ricky Grove insisted that his influenza was swept aside. Why do we need to know about Ricky Whittle's injury? He's a great dancer. He doesn't need to solicit sympathy votes. Just get on with it.

The only time he brought it up was last week and he didnt 'go on' about it, he mentioned it once. And then lats night on ITT when he was explaining why Natalie had to adapt the choreography for him. I think that's fair enough. The other times have been mentioned by other people talking to him (Tess, Claud etc).

when asked he mentioned an old football injury he didn't go into detail about it

I am amazed at the criticism Ricky is attracting for speaking up about bullying, let alone actually start a thread on CIN night. Unbelievable.

To be fair, Ricky did the same when Bruce asked him if he was OK after his Samba - he refused to mention it.

It's only the jive choreography that has raised his pre-existing injury.