Katie Piper has shared that she’s finding her stint on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ particularly taxing, because of “personal” and “legal” issues she’s experiencing away from the show.

Over the weekend, Katie came close to tears as she faced criticism from the judges for her poorly-received Paso Doble to Demi Lovato’s ‘Confident’.

However, the model and TV personality has said she has other things on her mind following the news that the man who attacked her with acid almost a decade ago had been granted release from prison.

“When the lyrics [to songs I’m dancing to] are emotional, that’s tough,” she told The Mirror. “I have been having lots of things going on in my personal life, legal things, and I think it [dancing] became psychologically overwhelming for me.”

She added, on an optimistic note: “My hope this week is that we have a much more upbeat song.”

In 2008, Katie was the victim of an acid attack at the hands of Stefan Sylvestre, who was given a life sentence following the incident, and was told he would serve a minimum of 12 years.

When it was reported back in August that he would be released, Katie said she hoped her involvement in the show would be a welcome distraction from the news.

She said in a statement: “Over the past two weeks, ‘Strictly’ has already given me such a welcome and positive distraction from my past. Whilst there is never a good time to hear this news, I’m glad I have this new journey to concentrate on.”

Susannah Constantine was the first of this year’s ‘Strictly’ stars to bow out of the competition, after she and partner Anton Du Beke wound up in the dance-off against singer Lee Ryan and professional star Nadiya Bychkova.