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Scarlett Moffatt© Photo: Getty Images

Scarlett Moffatt recalls terrifying cancer scare when she was just 11

The ex-Gogglebox star was 11 when doctors told her she could have leukaemia

Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
October 16, 2017
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Scarlett Moffatt has recalled the horrific moment she was told she could have cancer. The I'm a Celebrity winner confessed she was only 11 years old when doctors suggested she could be suffering from leukaemia after she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a facial paralysis. In her new book - Me Life Story: Sofa So Good - which has been serialised in The Mirror, the 26-year-old revealed how the news had a "heartbreaking" effect on her parents - especially since her father previously battled a rare skin cancer. "I had no idea what any of the words meant. It's only now I understand why my parents got so upset," she admitted.

Scarlett Moffatt has opened up about her childhood cancer scare

Discussing her dad's reaction, Scarlett added: "The thought of his little girl having tests for that awful C-word - cancer - was heartbreaking. My dad picked up my sock, held it to his eye and started to cry. Even though I was nervous and confused at what was happening, I just wanted to hear my dad laugh, not cry." Luckily for Scarlett, her doctor later revealed she didn't have cancer and was told she would be given strong steroids for Bell's palsy. Scarlett's Bell's Palsy was triggered by an accident, which saw her get knocked off her bike and smash her two front teeth. "I smashed my teeth and had all the nerves taken out, so I had a black tooth as well as a monobrow, and I was a little bit chubby, and then half my face was on the slide," she recently told The Sun.

STORY: Scarlett Moffatt unveils new transformation after accident left her with black teeth

The incident led to Scarlett being bullied when she was at school. Earlier this month, the TV star opened up about her ordeal, telling This Morning viewers: "When I was eleven, the first year of secondary school, I was in a bike accident and I smashed my front teeth, and then a couple of months later I got Bells palsy. So obviously I think I was a bit of an easy target because of all these problems." Scarlett's career, meanwhile, has been going from strength to strength. After winning I'm A Celebrity in 2016, the TV star has been asked to return as one of the new hosts on the spin-off show alongside her former campmate Joel Dommett and previous 'King of the Jungle' Joe Swash.