Scarlett Moffatt has thanked Ant and Dec for protecting her from online trolls.

Scarlett Moffatt

Scarlett Moffatt

The 29-year-old star insisted the Geordie duo - Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly - brought her "back to life" after she suffered from depression following nasty comments about her looks from social media bullies.

She's quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: "I felt lost and like I didn't know who I was any more.

"They told me, 'No... be you!' I feel so privileged that I have learned from them. Not many people can say that.

"I feel like I own my body again. I don't have to answer to anyone as to why I want to look the way I do. I know I've got to do a lot more serious stuff to be taken seriously, but that's where I want to go now."

The former 'Gogglebox' star rose to fame when she appeared on Channel 4 series in 2014, but starting being attacked online after she won 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' in 2016.

After taking home the crown, Scarlett released a fitness DVD showing off her new slim figure but it was later revealed she had secretly been to a boot camp and starved herself on a calorie-limited diet.

She soon fell into a pit of anxiety and depression as she continued to struggle with her body image.

The 'I'm A Celeb' hosts then offered her a spot on their ITV show 'Saturday Night Takeaway' in 2017, giving her the confidence to bounce back.

The gig lasted a year but Scarlett earned herself a spot co-hosting ITV2 spin-off show 'I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp' for two seasons before fronting her own reality series 'The British Tribe Next Door' with her family.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has admitted she still struggles with her own body image sometimes and thinks her star status only "emphasises" the fact.

She said: "I feel I'd be lying to you now if I said 'wow, I feel great when I look in the mirror.' Because some days I do and then other days I have a bit of a down day, but I feel that's every woman.

"I feel it's probably emphasised because people can read about it, or I have a few more followers than other people so I get a little bit more negativity."

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