In an article from this week’s Woman’s Day “King” Richard Roach has revealed he was happier prior to appearing on the show and losing all the weight.

Not because he doesn’t like being fit, skinny and healthier in general, because of the torrents of abuse he and his daughter have received since the show started airing.

I’m a tough bloke and I can take whatever is thrown at me, but the [online] abuse my daughter has received has brought me to my knees. She’s too scared to go to work because people are threatening to bash her.

One of the cited online comments includes the suggestion Amber needs a “punch to the throat”, apparently taken from Facebook.

Leaving aside the issue of moderating such comments before the contestants can see them, it does seem a little bit of an extreme reaction, even for the clear “villains” of the season. It’s important to remember that, no matter how much they might annoy you on the show, we only ever see a very carefully selected slice of their lives. Wishing harm upon them is never acceptable as they are more than just the characters we see on screen.

Richard went on to claim the show is “100 per cent fake”, citing as an example the producers covering the family’s coffee table with junk food. Presumably that was the ridiculous KFC and pizza feast we saw at one point, which I had trouble believing at the time.

Perhaps the most interesting part, for me, is that this seems a pretty fair indication that despite all their attempts to manipulate the game they have ultimately not won the grand prize? Or perhaps it’s all an elaborate ruse…

Despite being painted as the villain, Richard does not consider himself an arrogant, bullying person.

[…] I consider myself a family man, honourable, caring and generous. I had to play the game to the best of my ability – it was to save my daughter’s life, and I’m proud of that.

The internet hate machine will forget you and your daughter soon enough, Richard. Don’t fall back into old habits and you’ll end up better for the experience, even if it’s a little rough now.

(Source: Woman’s Day. Thanks for the tip, Gissy!)