Yahoo News Scarlett Moffatt hits back at claims she faked a lift phobia
I’m A Celebrity winner Scarlett Moffatt has hit back at claims she faked a phobia of lifts to get a wee bit of sympathy during the weekend’s final.
Fans of the show took to social media to unleash their huge collections of ‘Scarlett Moffatt in Lifts’ photos, pouring scorn on the star’s claim that she has a fear of elevators.
However, the Gogglebox star insists they’ve got it all completely wrong.
“It’s not a lift phobia, it’s claustrophobia,” the 25-year-old told The Sun. “Claustrophobia is being scared of confined spaces. I haven’t got a fear of lifts, I’ve got a fear of not being able to see an escape.
“It’s not just lifts, it’s the same if there’s too many bubbles in the bath,” she continued. “I can’t put my head under the water as if I opened my eyes I couldn’t see a way out.
“Or I can’t go in a small room without a window, or even a big one. It’s more I like to be able to see how I can escape. I don’t know why my brain works like that.”
Scarlett got the jitters on Sundays show when Ant and Dec revealed a challenge that would see her concealed in a cave with bucketfuls of rodents and creepy crawlies.
“I can feel myself getting upset,” she told them. “But I feel if I can do this I might finally be able to go in lifts because I was on the 34th floor out here and I walked the stairs because I can’t stand small spaces,” she said.
And even before she headed Down Under, Scarlett opened up about her fears of confined spaces. “I’m really claustrophobic. I get scared of lifts. And I can’t stay in a room without a window,” she explained.
“Where I lived at university my friend just had a skylight and that freaked us out. This is because when I was a kid we went to Fuengirola and my uncle threw a beach ball in the lift. I went in and he pressed all the buttons.
“I was only trapped in the lift for about three minutes but at that age I thought I’d been there the full fortnight! I’ve been traumatised about lifts ever since. And I don’t like the dark.”
Whether Scarlett’s phobia is genuine or fake, she’ll think twice before sharing any more lift selfiesin the future.
