'Tonight's the night you're going to die' - Laura Woods opens up on 'terrifying' three-year ordeal with female stalker

Woods has this week returned to work after a concerning collapse on live television during coverage of the Lionesses' friendly against Ghana. The popular host fell forward and was caught by pundits Ian Wright and Anita Asante ahead of kick-off, with coverage then switching immediately to an advertising break. Katie Shanahan took over hosting duties, telling viewers: "As you may all be aware, Laura Woods fell ill at the start of the programme. We want to reassure you that she's doing OK. We all send her our love."

Woods later posted an update to confirm she was feeling better and thanked those who had helped her for their assistance. She posted on social media: "Gosh that was a bit weird. Sorry to worry everyone, I'm OK, the wonderful paramedics at Saints have said its probably a virus, just need a bit of rest and hydration. I'm really embarrassed that happened on TV, but a big thank you to my colleagues at ITV who have really looked after me tonight. And to Wright and Neets for catching me and sorry again x."

Woods has given a new interview following her return and opened up on other difficult moments of her life, including her stalker ordeal. Liverpool fan Harneet Kaur inundated Woods with threats over the course of three years.

She told The Telegraph: "For three years, she would go to extreme lengths to make my life very uncomfortable. There were birthday cards that would say: ‘Today’s the day you were born and tonight’s the night you’re going to die.’ I would receive monthly funeral letters, because she had signed me up to these things. She sent the animal welfare team around about my dog. “She called the police and said she had seen me being dragged into my house by a man with a knife. 

"In 2023, I was in Poland, covering Oleksandr Usyk’s fight with Daniel Dubois, and she emailed me while I was on air. It was a video of my front door and a message, saying: ‘I know you’ve got three cameras in your house.’ I started going through all the video footage to see if anyone was in there. It was terrifying. It was every possible way you could conceive that she would try to get to me. Dating websites, spam websites, it was relentless – I couldn’t understand how one person could do it all.

“There was a video she posted with a gun in America at a shooting range, and it was directed at me. It was just too much, and it changed the way I felt about London. I lived on my own with my dog, and I felt very exposed. I didn’t want to be there any longer. It spun me into quite a bad place. Suddenly I was extremely anxious and low.”

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Woods has also had to cope with plenty of difficult times during her career. She has previously revealed she has received death threats and abuse from trolls and still gets some comments that leave her baffled.

"I saw one message from someone saying: ‘I’m so disappointed that Laura fronts the Lionesses coverage.’ And I thought: ‘Really? You’re saying you don’t want somebody who protects women’s sports to present women’s sports?’ Work that one out for me," she explained.

"As you get older, I think the filter comes off a little. You just say, for want of a better phrase, ‘F--- it’. One week people will think what you’ve said is brilliant, then the next week they will demonise you. It always comes in waves. It just depends how big that wave is.”

Woods was back to work in midweek in time for Manchester City's Champions League win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. A post-match interview with goalscorer Erling Haaland entertained fans as the Manchester City striker was informed Woods is an Arsenal fan and quipped: "She probably doesn't like me then!"

Just two points currently separate Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the table ahead of the latest round of fixtures. Arsenal host bottom side Wolves on Saturday, while Manchester City head to Crystal Palace.