TV star Scarlett Moffatt has shared her own experiences and advice on how she copes with her mental health as we recognise Mental Health Awareness Week, from the 10th to 16th May.
The former queen of the I’m A Celebrity jungle has been a TV fan favourite for many years now, since bursting on to our screens on Gogglebox in 2014.
Scarlett is an ambassador for mental health charity Samaritans, who provide support for anyone struggling to cope, 24 hours a day on their dedicated volunteer led helpline.
Speaking to Fleur East and the Hits Radio Breakfast team, Scarlett described how she had used Samaritans herself in the past. She said, “I rang the Samaritans about five years ago because things got quite on top of me and they were just so helpful."
She added how proud she was to be associated with the charity. "Honestly, I still can’t believe it. I got a little lump in my throat when they told me.
“I am lucky that I have quite a big platform and I could help other people. The thing is, with Samaritans, people assume that it’s a suicide prevention line, which it is, but it is also there if you feel lonely, if you’re worried, if you’re worried about finances, so I think it is such a wonderful charity which helps so many people.
“I messaged them on Instagram and asked if they needed me to post anything or anything I could do and that’s just been going for years. Then they asked if I wanted to be an ambassador and I said yes!”
Scarlett has also been speaking to us about our ongoing campaign, Where's Your Head At?, that aims to make a mental health first aid a legal requirement in the workplace.
Scarlett said, "I think having mental health first aiders in the workplace is such an amazing idea. It's going to break down stigma and help people open up. Sometimes you don’t want to speak to someone who knows you inside out… it is really important to have a trained stranger there to help."
CHECK OUT I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winners and runners-up: where are they now?
All the I'm A Celebrity winners EVER (slider)
1 of 202002: Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn was the first ever winner of I'm A Celeb back in 2002. He had a dramatic fall from grace in 2016 when he was sacked after 49 years working for the BBC, for failing to co-operate with the Jimmy Savile inquiry. He has since returned to the BBC and also hosts a podcast with Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson called Ricky and Tony's Pop Detectives.
2 of 202003: Phil Tufnell
Since winning I'm A Celeb in 2003, Tuffers had a long-running stint as team captain on A Question of Sport from 2008 until earlier this year. He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 and regularly appears on Test Match Special.
3 of 202004: Kerry Katona
What hasn't Kerry been up to since winning the show in 2004? After starring in a series of fly-on-the-wall reality shows called Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love, Kerry Katona: Whole Again and Kerry Katona: What's the Problem?, she's appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebs Go Dating. Kerry also briefly rejoined Atomic Kitten in 2012.
4 of 202004: Joe Pasquale
I'm A Celeb viewers were treated to not one but two series in 2004, with comedian Joe Pasquale inheriting the crown from Kerry Katona. These days, he continues to tour across the UK with his stand-up comedy shows. He also took part in the 2016 series of Tonight At The London Palladium on ITV and is the voice of Underdog, the cartoon dog mascot of National Accident Helpline.
5 of 202005: Carol Thatcher
The journalist and author lives in Switzerland with her partner Marco Grass. In 2016, Carol blocked a proposed statue of her late mother, the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, because the sculptor had neglected to include the Baroness' key accessory: her handbag. This, among other things has driven a deep wedge between Carol and her twin brother Denis Thatcher.
6 of 202006: Matt Willis
After being crowned King of the Jungle in 2006, Matt and his Busted bandmate James Bourne formed a supergroup with McFly - brilliantly called McBusted. Matt and James then had a word with Charlie Simpson and got the band back together taking Busted back on tour with the original line-up, and releasing the song Coming Home. He's also starred in EastEnders and Birds Of A Feather. Currently, Matt is touring the UK in a production of the musical Waitress.
7 of 202007: Christopher Biggins
After winning I'm A Celeb in 2007, actor Christopher Biggins won Celebrity Come Dine With Me in 2009, took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2014 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2016. Biggins continues to work in pantomimes and received the Lifetime Achievement award at The Great British Pantomime Awards in 2017.
8 of 202008: Joe Swash
Cheeky chap Joe Swash swapped EastEnders for the jungle and won the show in 2008. Since then, he's been all over TV and landed a job as host of the spin-off I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp in 2009. Last year, he won Dancing On Ice and regularly pops up on daytime TV faves This Morning and Loose Women. He got engaged to 2010 Jungle Queen Stacey Solomon in 2019 and has also welcomed two children with her.
9 of 202009: Gino D'Acampo
The nation fell in love with Gino in 2009. Since winning the show, Gino is a regular fixture on TV screens from This Morning to Celebrity Juice and his Gino, Gordon and Fred shows with Gordon Ramsey and Fred Siriex.
10 of 202010: Stacey Solomon
After showing off her bubbly personality on The X Factor, Stacey Solomon entered the jungle and won the show in 2010. Since then, she's been a regular panelist on Loose Women, brought out her own book, welcomed two children and gotten engaged to Joe Swash.
11 of 202011: Dougie Poynter
McFly guitarist Dougie Poynter was crowned King of the Jungle ahead of TOWIE's Mark Wright in 2011. Since winning the crown, he's become a model and has created a new band, INK. He's still part of McFly though and regularly tours the country with the band.
12 of 202012: Charlie Brooks
EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks couldn't believe it when Ant and Dec announced her as the winner in 2012. She continued her role as Janine Butcher on the show until 2014 when she left to go to Paris and recently returned to Albert Square earlier this year after seven years away.
13 of 202013: Kian Egan
After 22 days in the jungle, Westlife star Kian Egan was crowned the King in 2013. He reunited with his Westlife bandmates in 2018 for an album and a tour. The boyband are also set to tour again next year and have a new album in the works.
14 of 202014: Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty
Retired world super bike racer Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty won over the viewing public in 2014. He hasn't been seen a huge amount since then, unfortunately.
15 of 202015: Vicky Pattison
Vicky Pattison showed a different side to her usual Geordie Shore antics, winning over the public and being crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2015. She since had a spot on the Loose Women panel, and even loved the jungle so much that she went back in for the Australian version in 2018, coming fourth place. She's since taken part in Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity Coach Trip and also hosts her own podcast The Secret To.
16 of 202016: Scarlett Moffatt
Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt was crowned Queen of the Jungle after winning the show in 2016. She's since had plenty of presenting roles and had a regular spot on the I'm A Celeb spin-off show alongside Joe Swash until it was axed in 2019.
17 of 202017: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo
Made In Chelsea star Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo was crowned 2017's Queen of the Jungle after beating Jamie Lomas. She's since presented backstage at the National Television Awards, been a reporter for This Morning, starred on Celebrity Gogglebox with campmate Stanley Johnson and released her own clothing collection.
18 of 202018: Harry Redknapp
Football manager Harry Redknapp was crowned King of the Jungle in 2018, beating actors Emily Atack and John Barrowman to the top spot. He won over viewers with his heart melting praise of wife of nearly 60 years, Sandra. Harry and Sandra appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox the following year. They were most recently seen when their son Jamie married his girlfriend Frida Andersson-Lourie.
19 of 202019: Jacqueline Jossa
Since winning I'm A Celeb in 2019, former EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has launched a number of clothing collections with In The Style.
20 of 202020: Giovanna Fletcher
Giovanna Fletcher was crowned the first ever Queen of the Castle last year and recently announced that she was replacing Lily Allen in West End show 2:22 – A Ghost Story. She's also just released a new novel called Walking On Sunshine.
Find out more about Where's Your Head At?
In June 2020, following the first Covid-19 lockdown, mental health charity Mind conducted a survey of 16,000 people and found that ‘more than two thirds of adults with mental health problems reported that their mental health got worse during lockdown.’
Scarlett shared how she continues to cope with the isolation brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. She said, “I made sure that I kept in touch with people because it’s so easy to be in your own bubble, sitting in your house because you’re on your own. Especially when my boyfriend goes to work!
“I would make a little schedule for myself, get up, get dressed, bit of mascara on, do a TikTok or two. I planned Facetimes and daily walks with my friends and family which was nice. The walks have helped me a lot. I used to get Uber round the corner but now I’m like a rambler, I’m walking for miles!”
Like so many of us, Scarlett has learned a lot over the course of the last year and describes how lockdown has changed her life.
“I learned to appreciate loved ones and to make time for people because that is what has got me through, spending time with loved ones. Try and take time and look after yourself and make sure that you are constantly surrounded by people you love.”
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She also offered advice on how to cope if you’re struggling with the pressures of social media.
“I think social media plays a huge part in people’s mental health, because everyone is looking on social media and thinking everyone has got their life together. Side note, we haven’t!
“I know this sounds ridiculous, but delete people that make you feel sad about your life. We don’t have to follow people that make us feel sad, it’s no disrespect to that person. But if someone always looks like they’ve got their life together and that’s a trigger for you, just don’t follow them.”
You can find out more information about the Samaritans via their website. You can also read more about Mental Health Awareness Week and access resources on their dedicated website.