By Alanah Eriksen


Abuse: Military Wives soloist Samantha Stevenson has been the victim of cruel internet taunts over her tattoos


A mother who led the Military Wives choir to the top Christmas spot says she has been abused online because of her tattoos.

Yesterday's victory was bittersweet for Soloist Samantha Stevenson, 28, who was the victim of a cruel campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

She was branded a 'skank' on internet forums and her tattoos were described as looking like 'temp garish things' that made one Twitter user 'balk'.

But she has vowed to celebrate her chart success by adding a remembrance poppy tattoo to her collection of bright inkings.


'There were loads of nasty comments,' the mother-of-two told The Sun.

'It was hurtful. My tattoos make me stand out from the rest of the girls.

'Most people are lovely and supportive. But I've been really shocked by the reaction to my tattoos by people on the internet.

'They say I'm vile, I'm a disgusting woman with disgusting tattoos and I shouldn't be allowed on TV.

'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I am who I am and I like my tattoos. It doesn't make me a bad person. The internet stuff isn't going to put me off.'


Ecstatic! Samantha with fellow members Nicky Kenyon and Kerry Riva after receiving their Official Singles Chart Number 1 Award by Reggie Yates yesterday

A doting mother and wife: Samantha with one of her two children, aged two


The talented singer has a variety of patterns, from an anchor, to a bright red heart, to a nautical star, that decorates her arm and chest.

Her angelic voice opens the song and leads the rest of the choir who recorded the single to raise money for for The Royal British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association).

Scottish-born Samantha's husband, Lance Corporal John Stevenson, of 24 Commando Regiment, Royal Engineers, is based in Chivenor, North Devon.

She is part of the inspirational choir of war heroes' wives, formed by TV chorister Gareth Malone for BBC2 show, The Choir.

The women learned yesterday they had reached number one after selling 556,000 copies of their song Wherever You Are in a week.

We did it! Members of the choir react at RMB Chivenor in Dorset yesterday after hearing their song Wherever You Are is number one


The song was written by Royal Wedding composer Paul Mealor and the music is set to a poem compiled from letters to and from the servicemen and their wives on a 6-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The TV presenter formed the choir of military wives to help them through the tough time of worry and separation from their husbands.

Samantha added: 'It has been such a privilege to do this and I hope it goes on from here and we keep singing together.

'This has been such an emotional rollercoaster and I've met people who I think will be friends for life. We've shared some really tough times when our husbands were going away to war, I'll never forget it.

'Getting to No1 is just like the icing on the cake.'

Samantha has previously spoken about missing her husband, who was deployed to Afghanistan.

'When they phone, you have to be all cheery, because they don’t want to hear that you’ve had a c*** day or whatever,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

'You have to stay strong and keep a bit of a lid on [your emotions], because if you didn’t you’d be a mess, you’d just be this emotional wreck.

'And, of course, you don’t want the kids to see you upset all the time. If they’re having a down day and missing daddy, you have to be strong for them and comfort them, but there’s no one there to comfort you.'




source:dailymail