Sue Perkins quits Twitter over Top Gear death threats
By Nick Bond
Comedian Sue Perkins has announced she is taking a break from social media, following a vicious backlash from Top Gear fans after rumours she was in line to host the show.
The Great British Bake Off host, who was named TV Personality of the Year at the 2013 Attitude Awards, took to Twitter over the weekend to rebuff rumours that she was in talks to replace Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC driving show.
Seems her denials weren’t enough for some fans of the program, who bombarded her with abusive tweets – including violent death threats. That was enough for the 45-year-old gay comic and presenter. She tweeted:
Guys, post the utterly fabricated story about me & Top Gear, my timeline has been full of blokes wishing me dead…
— Sue Perkins 💙 (@sueperkins) April 14, 2015
This morning, someone suggested they'd like to see me burn to death.
— Sue Perkins 💙 (@sueperkins) April 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/sueperkins/status/587926405939355650