Chloe's father Richard Madeley has already approached the police over the threats and warned that "prosecution awaits" for whomever had targeted his daughter.

The threats came as Judy inflamed a debate about whether convicted rapist and former Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans should be given his job back earlier this week after being released from jail.

Evans, 25, was jailed in 2012 for five years for raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel in Rhyl, north Wales, and is due for release soon. A petition asking that he is not allowed to return to his job at Sheffield United has gathered over 140,000 signatures.

Speaking about the issue on Loose Women, Judy said:

“He’s served his time. The rape – and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape – but the rape was not violent. He didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.

“It was unpleasant, in a hotel room, I believe, and she was – she had far too much to drink. And you know, that is reprehensible, but he has been convicted and he has served his time.”

Her comments ignited a Twitter storm and she later apologised, saying: "I absolutely wasn’t suggesting that rape was anything other than a horrendous crime and, as I said on the programme, I was in no way attempting to minimise the terrible ordeal that any woman suffers as a result."

Ched's girlfriend Natasha Massey has since spoken out to maintain his innocence in the whole affair, despite his conviction.

Chloe Madeley "I was horrified and violated by violent Twitter rape threats"