Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt has made a touching and deeply personal promise for the year 2026, inspired by the heartbreaking loss of her best friend to a rare form of cancer. The 35-year-old television personality is channelling her grief into a positive mission to live life to the fullest, just as her late friend did.
A Promise Born from Loss
Scarlett Moffatt lost her close friend Ivo to sarcoma last year, a rare cancer that affects the body's supporting tissues, including bone, muscle, fat, cartilage, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. In a heartfelt tribute shared on Instagram, Scarlett pledged to honour Ivo's memory by embracing 2026 with the same zest for life that he exemplified.
She wrote emotionally: "I lost my best friend to sarcoma a year ago and Ivo literally saw the positive in everything and never said no to an opportunity. So this year I'm doing the same." This commitment reflects her determination to make the coming year "one to remember" in his honour, turning personal tragedy into a source of inspiration.
Opening Up About Mental Health Struggles
In the same candid social media post, Scarlett also revealed the significant mental health challenges she faced after rising to fame on Channel 4's Gogglebox. She described feeling overwhelmed by public scrutiny and negative opinions when she first appeared on the show, a experience that led her to seek crucial support.
"This job has so many positives but the negatives I didn't know how to handle at first," she confessed. "I'd never heard or seen people's opinions of me, all of a sudden I felt bombarded with everything that was wrong with me."
The Samaritans charity provided vital assistance during her lowest moments, and Scarlett has since become an ambassador for the organisation, using her platform to advocate for mental health awareness and support services.
Confronting Online Abuse
Scarlett has previously spoken openly about the torrent of nasty comments she received about her appearance and weight after being catapulted into the spotlight. When Gogglebox first aired in 2014, she joined Twitter to engage with viewers during broadcasts, only to be met with immediate and cruel criticism.
"Immediately, I started getting really horrible messages about how ugly, fat and stupid I was," she recalled. "All of a sudden, all of these people that didn’t even know me were forming opinions about me from five minutes on a half-hour show. It hit me hard."
Despite considering quitting, Scarlett persevered, refusing to let others' comments hold her back as the show grew in popularity.
Personal Life and Family
Scarlett is now a mother to son Jude, whom she shares with boyfriend Scott Dobinson. She met Scott in unusual circumstances in 2019 after dialling 999 when paparazzi were outside her home. Scott, an old friend from her teenage years, arrived as the responding police officer.
"Scott, my old friend, was the police officer that turned up to save me...the rest is history and our little Jude came along in 2023," she shared, highlighting the unexpected turn of events that brought her family together.
Through her openness about grief, mental health, and personal resilience, Scarlett Moffatt continues to connect with audiences beyond her television work, offering a message of hope and strength in the face of adversity.
