The Traitors winner Meryl Williams has opened up about being harassed by bullies who would 'laugh and film' her due to her disability.
The Edinburgh local has said that entering the show 'was never about the money' noting that she 'wants to see more people like me on TV' to defy the trolls. After winning the show alongside Aaron Evans and Hannah Byczkowski each contestant took home £33,000 which Meryl wants to use to help her break into the TV industry.
Meryl, 26, has quit her job working in a call centre after winning a third of the jackpot to focus on presenting work and journalism. Breaking boundaries and stigma around disabilities is a cause close to Meryl's heart, as she recently opened up about the bullying she has faced in public.
The reality show winner is 4ft 2in and has achondroplasia which is bone growth disorder that causes disproportionate dwarfism. This genetic disorder means her torso is of average height but her legs and arms are shorter.
Speaking to the Scottish Daily Express, Meryl said: "Throughout school I was lucky and I was treated the same as everyone else, but in public I face discrimination on an every day basis.
"There's not enough awareness of my condition. I think people often see some sort of hilarity in it because often dwarfs are in pantomimes and because of the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
"A lot of people are taken aback - they point and laugh. I've had people film me and hysterically laugh when I'm doing a weekly shop.
"I feel on edge when I walk past a group of teenage boys, and don't leave the house on my own. People sometimes mistake me for a child and ask where my mum is.
"I get frustrated because people wouldn't treat people with other disabilities in this way. I can't wake up one day and be 5ft 5in. It does get disheartening and if you're having a bad day it makes it ten times worse. I decided to enter Traitors to defy the odds and prove to the people that I can do everything they can. I want to see more people like me on TV."
She said: "When I won the show I was in complete and utter shock, and I never expected this outcome. People went into the show with a game strategy, but I thought you couldn’t predict what we were going to face on Traitors, so I just went in as myself.
“I wanted to be the same person on the show and in the castle as I am on the outside. When I got to the final there were only five contestants left and I kept telling myself ‘Just keep going, just keep going’.
“I never wanted to get ahead of myself, so I never said to myself I could win during the games. It was never about the money for me, it was just about the experience.
“As well, I think it helped bring awareness of my condition. I don’t think any person with achondroplasia has ever won a game show before.
“I hope it empowers people to never stop trying despite their disabilities and I want to be to educate people about my condition and show the world it doesn’t stop you from doing anything."
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