‘Putting weight on at Christmas is a must!’ Scarlett Moffatt on letting go over the festive period

Scarlett Moffatt tells our sister publication Woman’s Own why she’s more confident about her body than ever before.

By her own admission, Scarlett Moffatt has ‘been all shapes and sizes’ over the years since she shot to fame on MTV show Beauty School Cop Outs in 2013.

She even slimmed down from a size 18 to a size eight in 2017 at an intense boot camp. Now a healthy size 14, the Gogglebox star, 29, couldn’t be happier in herself as she sits down to chat.

Scarlett tells us her contentment is all down to her experience living with a Namibian tribe, who walk around in very little clothing, for her recent Channel 4 show The British Tribe Next Door.

As well as the secret to loving the skin she’s in, Scarlett reveals why internet trolls and her old school bullies don’t get to her as much as they used to, and why she’s so excited to spend her first Christmas with boyfriend Scott Dobinson.

Merry Christmas, Scarlett! What’s your favourite thing about this time of year?

It’s a very clichéd thing to say, but genuinely just spending time with my family. I was so excited that I had ideas for making my house Christmassy in October! I’m one of those people with my own inflatable Santa Claus.

What are your plans for this year?

We have a couple of Christmas traditions, where we always do the same thing. There are about 15 to 20 of us close family that all go out for Christmas dinner, so we don’t have to wash up! Then we all go off to either my house or my nanny’s one instead – and we play bingo, my nanny makes quizzes and we all just relax, chat and play loads of board games.

With all the treats, do you worry about putting on a few extra Christmas pounds?

Oh my God, no, it’s Christmas. I feel like if you don’t put a little weight on over Christmas, it hasn’t been successful!

You’ve launched a clothing range with Peacocks. How would you describe it?

I would say it’s for everyone. I haven’t left anyone out of the party. I’ve tried to cater for all ages and for sizes eight to 22, so I’ve chosen things that nip in at the waist, and designs with cap sleeves, because I know for myself that I’m quite self-conscious of the top of my arms. So, when I was choosing clothes I was bearing in mind those things – and that way when women and girls wear my fashion range and look in the mirror, rather than think, ‘I don’t like this or that,’ they can just see how beautiful they are and not feel self-conscious.

Are you feeling a lot more confident about your body shape these days?

I did a show, The British Tribe Next Door, with my family recently where I was around amazing women from this tribe who don’t wear a lot of clothes and they gave me so much confidence. I feel like I’m in a place where I can accept compliments now without freaking out. I can just say, ‘thank you!’ and I think that’s a really good place to be in.

That’s so good you can say that!

Yeah, it feels quite empowering, actually, because I’ve been all shapes and sizes and like most women, I can honestly say I’ve never truly been happy with how I look, but now I can look in the mirror and see [certain] things I do like!

What about the internet trolls? How does it feel when you get bullied online?

Obviously, it’s not very nice and I would be lying if I sat here and said, ‘Oh yeah it goes over my head, I’ve got really thick skin,’ because it doesn’t. It does affect us and does upset us because I’m just human, really. I think it upsets us more that me mam, nan and little sister have to see those comments, more than me actually reading them. But I just try and focus on the positive things now.

What kind of gift would you like to receive for Christmas this year?

I would quite like a holiday with my boyfriend, making memories. This isn’t going to happen, maybe it will for my honeymoon if I ever get married, but I really want to go to Pig Beach in the Bahamas. It sounds amazing, just swimming about with pigs.

And lastly, what’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever had?

This is going to sound cringey, but when I was younger, my dad got skin cancer, and we didn’t think he was going to be home for Christmas, but he was – so I always say that was my best Christmas present ever.

The Scarlett Loves Peacocks edit is available now in stores and online