When it comes to Christmas Day, TV personality Scarlett Moffatt is determined to enjoy herself with all the trimmings.
She says: “My friends all wanted to lose a few pounds to get into their little party dresses, and I just think life is too short.
“And Christmas is about enjoyment not denying yourself.
“When you ask me what I am looking forward to at Christmas, I wouldn’t like to think anyone would answer that, saying ‘It’s to look really skinny in that dress’.”
It’s a far cry from her days of openly berating herself for eating “the wrong things” after losing three stone.
Scarlett first shot to fame in 2014, on Channel 4 ’s Gogglebox, winning an army of fans with her sassy one-liners.
At the time, she was a size 16 but within a year of leaving the series and signing on for I’m A Celeb, she had slimmed down significantly.
By then in demand for TV roles, she left the jungle in December 2016 as the winner, and was soon releasing an exercise DVD.
Now, after years of yoyoing between sizes eight and 18, she happily embraces her curves.
Currently back to a 16, her social media feed is filled with inspiring messages on the subject of body positivity.
Scarlett says: “I just want to encourage my friends to live the best life. It took me a lot of confidence to post a picture of me in a swimsuit because even I didn’t know if the comments would be kind or not.
“But now I honestly don’t care. When I meet young girls and the mums of young girls, and they say it really helps them... just makes me feel I’m doing my job properly.”
Christmas Day this year will be extra special for Scarlett. It’s the first one the TV star is spending in her own forever home, she reveals.
For while she moved into a stunning new-build property in County Durham with police officer boyfriend Scott Dobinson last year, 12 months ago Scarlett was away playing the Fairy Godmother in panto in Crawley.
But this festive season she has limited her workload to pre-recorded TV shows, starring in one-off special Celebrity Lego Masters at Christmas on Channel 4 tonight.
So while we’re all watching that she’ll be settling down at her home (which has a cinema room, fire pit and a wine fridge).
The centrepiece is a high-spec kitchen, where the couple, friends and family will congregate.
Scarlett, 32, said of cooking her festive feast: “There will be turkey and also a joint of beef, sprouts, parsnips and red cabbage.
“My favourite bit is the pigs in blankets. I love them! I’m hosting, but it’s going to be a shared effort.
“My family are coming and my friends. My mam makes all the meats – the turkey and a joint of beef. My friend will do the pudding. And I’m in charge of condiments, just opening jars, to be honest.
“I’m going to make a cake, too. Well, I’m going to attempt to, that’s as far as my culinary skills go. I haven’t had a proper at-home Christmas in six years – I’ve either been working or due to Covid restrictions. So it will be so nice that there are no limits.
“I am able to spend it with my mum and dad and nan and all that. I’m really excited.”
On Lego Masters, Scarlett with father Mark and sister Ava compete against singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her family, plus comedians Alex Horne and Sophie Duker. She said: “It’s a Lego fan’s dream.
“You’re just basically given a room where it’s full of a million blocks... you’ve just got free rein to build from scratch. I find building Lego so therapeutic. It’s not very often as an adult you can sit and play, which is what Lego allows you to do.”
But clever sister Ava will be the family’s secret weapon, Scarlett says.
Ava, who made occasional appearances on the Moffatt family’s Gogglebox sofa, was last seen with them on Channel 4 reality show The British Tribe Next Door.
This year she passed her GSCEs with all A* and A grades. “I’m so proud,” Scarlett says.
“Because she did so well, she’s well on her way to achieving her dream of going to Durham University and becoming an archaeologist.”
Of family Christmas with Ava and others, she says: “It’s good we can all be together and not worry about how many people are around the table this year. It does feel things are getting back to normal.”
But one Christmas constant will be upsettingly different this year. “It will definitely be strange to be sitting down and watching the King’s Speech,” admits Scarlett.
“We are all big royalists in our family so we never ever missed the Queen’s Christmas message.
“I feel it will be really emotional watching King Charles do it instead.”
Celebrity Lego Masters At Christmas, Channel 4 tonight, 7.25pm.
