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07th Dec 2016

I’m a Celeb winner Scarlett Moffatt reveals she was severely bullied at school

She's credited her childhood ordeal with making her who she is today.

Mike Wright

‘I’m A Celebrity’ winner Scarlett Moffatt has revealed the extent of the horrendous bullying she suffered as a child and teenager.

The ‘Gogglebox’ star suffered so badly at school she was allowed to leave 10 minutes early to avoid being beaten up.

Yet Moffatt has also said the experience helped forge the personality that has made her a favourite among TV viewers.

She said: “From aged 12 I just didn’t like life. I didn’t have the best time, really. But if I hadn’t had those experiences at school, then I probably wouldn’t be here. If I had just tried to fit in, I wouldn’t be the weirdo that I am now.”

As a child the TV star was hit by a car while riding her bike. The accident meant she had to have plastic caps on her teeth and left her with a condition that caused one side of her face to droop.

Moffatt winnerScarlett winning the finale of I’m A Celebrity

She said: “I smashed my teeth and had all the nerves taken out, so I had a black tooth as well as a monobrow, and I was a little bit chubby, and then half my face was on the slide.

“There was just loads of things. One of the kids also saw me metal detecting with my dad, so you can imagine how that went down.

“I mean, it’s funny now. Jesus, it wasn’t funny when I was going into school. It’s worked out well now, it’s built character.”

The bullying got so bad she was forced to move schools in county Durham, where she grew up, and at her new school she was allowed to leave early to avoid the bullies.

Scarlett told The Sun she used to hang around a supermarket car park to avoid turning up home early and hid her ordeal from her parents.

She added: “I would pretend to my parents that I loved school. Sometimes I would sit in the toilets at breaks just so I didn’t have to wander around the playgrounds on my own.”

Moffatt winner 3Scarlett couldn’t hide her shock at winning I’m A Celeb.

However, her future is now looking bright as winning I’m a Celeb has capped a meteoric rise for the Gogglebox favourite in recent years.

She is now reportedly in line to make an estimated £1 million from commercial work and endorsements after being crowned the victor in the Australian Jungle.

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