Ruth Brown raises her voice against bullies

The BBC called in police to investigate after Ruth Brown, 20, received a deluge of vile remarks on Twitter targeting her skin colour, appearance and weight.

The singer said she sobbed when she read the comments. Some users even made derogatory remarks about her father, Lloyd, who died of stomach cancer days before she auditioned for the show.

But after the BBC reported the comments to the police, Brown decided to fight back. She has now spoken out about the growing problem of online bullying and racism. "Not only have I endured jibes of a racist nature but sick comments about my weight," she said.

"Things have been said about my dad, too. At first, I was upset and cried my heart out. But I want to speak out because I hope it will encourage other people to fight back against bullies."