DERBY TV personality Maria Fowler is being stalked by a sinister internet troll who has threatened to blow up her house and rape her.
Police are investigating after former The Only Way Is Essex star Maria was targeted with the terrifying messages on her Twitter page.
The internet troll has since deleted his account but Maria intends to take further action and hopes to see him prosecuted.
The 27-year-old, who used to go toLittleover Community School, and lives in the city, said: "There are people out there who are capable of things like this and it's very worrying.
"It's an absolute nightmare to receive something like that. I was sent the message which said there is a bomb outside your house and that I should watch out because I will be raped.
"It's disgusting and this person is clearly an absolute weirdo. It's a very extreme thing to say and there is no point at all.
"I live on my own so to be threatened with rape is terrible. If it is a stalker then generally they are people you know but this is just a weirdo.
"It has left me feeling scared when something like this happens.
"I've had things similar but this is the most recent. People do say things on social media but it's just insults. This is far worse."
After leaving the TV show, Maria moved back to Derby to set up her own business, Amazing Tan, which sells a series of professional spray-tanning kits.
The threats have not deterred Maria from still using Twitter.
She said she has received support from other users who urged her to contact the police.
She was propelled to fame when she joined the show, which is broadcast on ITV2 and averages more than one million viewers for every episode.
She has not always experienced the positive side of fame and has suffered bouts of depression after negative stories in the media.
She tried to end her life by taking an overdose and the news made national headlines.
She moved back to her home city for peace and quiet and did not expect to receive the threats.
She said: "If somebody said that to me in the street then they would not get away with it.
"It should not be any different for doing it online.
"When I got back from my holiday I did think about what my car would be like because I have just had a new one.
"These messages arrived before I went away on holiday.
"I thought about not going away but then if I hadn't that would have meant they had won."
Maria said her worry was greater because the account had no name, picture or any details about themselves.
She has over 445,000 Twitter followers and she said the threats would not stop her using the social media platform.
She said: "I will carry on because I am not going to let this person get away with it.
"My message to them is simple.
"Posting these threats can have serious implications for people."
A spokesman for Derbyshire police said: "I can confirm that Maria has contacted the police about three messages she received on Twitter."