North East TV personality Scarlett Moffatt has said it “meant everything” to be given the opportunity to showcase her home region in her upcoming TV project.
The 32-year-old from Bishop Auckland in County Durham willl front a brand new BBC One show, Scarlett’s Driving School, as she attempts to help those struggling to pass their driving test- all while joining them in their quest.
Speaking to the PA news agency about the experience of filming the show, the star, who first found fame starring on Gogglebox, said: “It’s just been such a nice project to work on because it’s not very often that you get your name in the title of a show."
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She added: “Honestly, this has forever been a dream… To think that you’d have your own show on BBC One, but also to get to film on my doorstep in the North East, and showcase what the North has to offer, meant everything because I do think sometimes, when it comes to shows, and I am very passionate about this, I think County Durham and the North East gets a bit of a bad rep.
“I feel like we’re just shown to be drinking all the time or there’s programmes like Benefits Street and stuff like that, and I just don’t really think it showcases the North for what it is as a whole.
“Yes, there are parts of that, but it’s not just solely that.
“So to showcase Hartlepool Marina and Crew and Yarm and these beautiful places, and we made sure we had different people learning from all over the UK, a lot from the North actually, it was just lovely.”
The show sees Moffatt open the doors to her very own driving school in Teesside, in an attempt to help members of the British public who are struggling to pass their driving tests as a result of missing out on driving lessons with professional instructors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
After failing to pass her own driving test 13 times, Moffatt said: “I think for me, especially during lockdown, I felt really quite isolated… It made me realise, I do really really need to pass.”
Each of the learner drivers attend Moffatt’s driving school with their long-suffering family member or friend who has had to become an amateur teacher and are given an intensive five-day crash course by some of the UK’s top professional driving instructors.
After completing the course, Moffatt took her test in September along with those featured in the show and successfully passed. She told PA of the elation she now feels at being able to drive her own car.
“I just get so excited every time I get my car keys, because I’ve been learning since I was 17 and I’m 32 now, you know it’s been a long time coming,” she said.
Moffatt revealed that she began crying after finding out she had passed and was particularly impressed that she was able to successfully complete her parking manoeuvre, adding: “I don’t mean to live up to the stereotypical ‘women can’t park,’ but this woman cannot park.”
The presenter also revealed that passing her driving test has improved her health.
“I feel like I’m now the designated driver for everyone, and actually weirdly, I feel healthier for it,” she said.
“In the sense that before when we would go out for food I would always have a couple glasses of wine, whereas now I’m not, because I’m the designated driver.”
However, the former Queen of the Jungle did admit the first place she went after passing her test was McDonald’s, adding: “I always said the first place I was gonna go was McDonald’s and honestly, I felt so excited.
“The woman on the Tannoy on the drive-through was probably like she’s far too excited for these nuggets. But it just felt so good to be able to drive there myself.”
Scarlett’s Driving School is coming soon to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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