Gogglebox is, without a doubt, one of THE most popular shows ever to hit our televisions.
And a lot of that is down to the fact that we get to share a sofa on Friday nights with some seriously lovely people.
It’s pretty safe to say that we all have our favourites; there’s the wise-cracking Siddiqui trio, the larger than life Sandy and Sandra, the permanently squiffy Steph and Dom, and the fantastic Scarlett Moffatt, to name just a few.
But we’ve always had a soft spot for the Tapper family.
Jonathan, Nikki, Josh and Amy are always amazing viewing - not just because they’re just so funny, but because they’re such a close-knit family unit.
N’aww, we love them so much!
So earlier this week, when fellow Gogglebox star Viv Woerdenweber made headlines over her amazing weight loss, we didn’t see how the Tapper family came into it.
However it seems we failed to factor in how cruel people can be.
Using Viv’s transformation as an excuse, some took the opportunity to make digs about Amy’s weight, suggesting that Viv should sit her down and give her some tips.
It’s worth remembering that Amy is just 16-years-old.
And it’s not the first time that vile Twitter trolls have lashed out at her, either.
Vile.
However we doubt the sensible teen will let their cruel words affect her too much.
Speaking with wisdom beyond her years on the show, she recently explained her own thoughts on fat shaming during an episode of Gogglebox.
Amy said firmly: “Even though being big is unhealthy, just as being too thin is unhealthy, it is portrayed as a bad thing.
“Fat is a way to describe someone, slim is a way to describe someone, pretty is a way to describe someone.
“But the word ‘fat’ is used as an insult.”
She makes a very valid point; the word ‘fat’ is a term used to describe a natural oily substance occurring in animal bodies, especially when deposited as a layer under the skin or around certain organs.
It shouldn’t be used as ammunition against people - particularly teenagers, who already have so many pressures to contend with.
However it’s not all bad for the Tapper family, as Amy’s brother Josh explained that the positive comments tend to outweigh the negative.
He told What’s On TV: “[We get] lots of really nice tweets from people who enjoy the show, obviously you get the odd negative, but you’ve got to ignore it and take into account how many pros there are to negative."
Amy added: “We’re just normal people, but it’s strange when people come up and start talking to you. They think they know you because they watch on TV, which is odd."
The teenagers seem to have a very healthy attitude to social media.
But the fact that fat-shaming messages such as these are being sent to a schoolgirl is a firm reminder that more needs to be done about cyber bullying.
Twitter is, essentially, a playground for bullies. People log on, make a comment and it disappears into cyberspace - they probably forget about it shortly after hitting 'tweet'.
But, for the people targeted in these tweets, they do not disappear. They bore into their soul, create bruises where we cannot see them and erode their self-worth.
Rebecca Adlington was eventually driven to plastic surgery after vicious comments about her nose.
And the repercussions can be far worse.
TV presenter Charlotte Dawson, 47, was found dead at her home in Sydney two years ago, tragically becoming the "first celebrity victim of trolling".
At what point did it become okay for us to devote our time to identifying the weaknesses of total strangers? Why have we deemed it as 'normal' to viciously attack people on Twitter until they are left feeling utterly, utterly worthless?
Many might defend themselves, saying "it's just a tweet". And many have suggested that the celebrities should just delete their Twitter accounts and not let the bullies get to them - but why should the victims be punished for the bully's crime? That is as foolish a suggestion as those who say women should not wear short skirts in a bid to deter rapists - it is NOT the women who are at fault. The simple solution is that rapists should NOT rape.
And, in this case, bullies should NOT bully.
More needs to be done to punish online bullying. Abuse is abuse, whether it takes place in the virtual or actual world, and action needs to be taken.
Are you shocked at the nasty comments Gogglebox’s Amy Tapper has been receiving?
Let us know via Facebook or Twitter (@CloserOnline) now.
Jon Tapper is one of the wonderful celebrity nominees in Closer’s Dad Of The Year Awards. To vote for him, click here now.
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