Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo thinks being bullied as a child helped her to win ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’.
The ‘Made In Chelsea’ star says she developed the ability to avoid confrontation after being bullied at school aged 12, and she believes that was key to her recent success on the ITV show.
She explained "I’m very passive and in the four years I’ve been on ‘Made In Chelsea’ I generally avoid arguing. I really don’t like it.
"So when there was animosity in camp I could feel it. I would always remove myself from the drama by going for a work-out, a swim or hanging out with Stanley Johnson, who was mostly doing his own thing. So I didn’t experience any upset.
"Maybe by nature and because of my past I protect myself. The minute I feel any tension I take myself away. I really prefer to be positive."
Toff was bullied so badly during her childhood that her parents ultimately decided to remove her from her girls’ school in Exeter, Devon.
But, on reflection, the reality star believes the experience has helped to make her a stronger person.
She told The Sun newspaper: "It was a really horrible time in my life and I can’t really remember it. I think I’ve blocked it out because it was so upsetting.
"A group of girls didn’t like me and picked on me on a daily basis. They were ever so bitchy. But I moved on, with the support of my family. Even talking about it now makes me well up with tears.
"But it’s important to remember, most people have been bullied, and it makes you a stronger person in the long run."