Scarlett Moffatt defends ‘uncomfortable’ new TV show and insists she left a water borehole in Namibia for impoverished village
Scarlett Moffatt has defended her new controversial TV show, The British Tribe Next Door, and insisted that she left a water borehole in Namibia for the impoverished village.
In the Channel 4 programme, which aired on Tuesday, the former Gogglebox star, 29, lived alongside the Himba community in a Namibian tribal village.
Yet the new TV show has left some viewers ‘uncomfortable’ with angry fans even insisting it ‘screams privilege’ as they built a replica of Scarlett’s family home with running water in the impoverished village.
Defensive: Scarlett Moffatt has defended her new controversial TV show, The British Tribe Next Door, and insisted that she left a water borehole in Namibia for the impoverished village
Yet Scarlett has now hit back at critics and insisted that her family left a water borehole, which is maintained by someone, for their friends in Namibia.
She tweeted: ‘Just to clarify we left a water borehole for our friends when we left Namibia which someone maintains #britishtribenextdoor ❤️.’
Ahead of the show, the reality star also hit back at negative comments, she tweeted: ‘My friends were happy, empowering and beautiful souls inside and out,’ followed by a heart emoji.
Adding in a separate tweet: ‘Let’s make judgements not from a book cover yeah. I know majority of people (bar the people who are negative about everything [laughing emojis]) are going to love #thebritishtribenextdoor.’
New show: In the Channel 4 programme, which aired on Tuesday, the former Gogglebox star, 29, lived alongside the Himba community in a Namibian tribal village
Hitting back: The new TV show has left some viewers ‘uncomfortable’ with angry fans even insisting it ‘screams privilege’
The British Tribe Next Door aired on Tuesday night and inevitably left show watchers divided as they took to social media to comment on the programme.
One person said: ‘What they gonna do with the house after? Knock it down? Build them all one for being on the show? #thetribenextdoor.’
A different user put: ‘So, somehow, this is even worse than I imagined which is remarkable #thetribenextdoor.’
Another show watcher commented: ‘#thetribenextdoor Not comfortable with this at all . Turning over for #brexit news.’
Divided: The British Tribe Next Door aired on Tuesday night and inevitably left show watchers divided as they took to social media to comment on the programme
While a different fan added: ‘We have just switched this off. I can’t watch anymore of it! #thetribenextdoor.’
Yet not all show watchers were critical and other viewers praised the ‘wonderful’ programme for leaving them in tears.
One person said: ‘Watching #thetribenextdoor. Bit worried when they built the house, was it going to be one if THOSE shows. But I’m loving learning more about the Himba tribe and seeing how life can be simpler and how frivolous we’ve become.’
A different user put: ‘#thebritishtribenextdoor the people calling this show arrogant are actually the arrogant ones. Because they are clearly thinking its about showing how privileged we are to the primitive people. Actually it’s about realising how ridiculous are lives are in many ways!’
Praise: Yet not all show watchers were critical and other viewers praised the ‘wonderful’ programme for leaving them in tears
Another show watcher commented: ‘@ScarlettMoffatt what a wonderful wonderful programme! Ignore the idiots, the tribespeople came across as so wonderful! Your family did too! It’s made me reevaluate what’s really important, thank you #thebritishtribenextdoor.’
While a different fan added: ‘Just finished watching #thebritishtribenextdoor and WOW what a programme! Absolute genius TV and @ScarlettMoffatt and her family are perfect for the programme! [heart emoji] can’t wait for the next episode [hand emojis].’
It comes after Scarlett said she’s never felt happier in her skin than when she moved into a tribal village in Namibia to film new TV show, The British Tribe Next Door.
‘We wish we had your rolls of fat’: It comes after Scarlett said she’s never felt happier in her skin than when she moved into a tribal village in Namibia to film new TV show, The British Tribe Next Door
The 29-year-old Gogglebox star appeared on This Morning on Tuesday and said the people she met there embraced her body shape and called her ‘strong.’
She said: ‘I honestly have never felt no judgement at all, my friends there kept saying we wish we had your rolls of fat.
‘Candithico [Scarlett’s BFF in Namibia,] was saying you look strong and it looks like your dad’s cattle are healthy.
‘I’ve never felt so not judged and happy to be in my own skin. just feel like all my day is consumed with how I look. It’s not a thing there. The most amazing thing is they all said I looked beautiful.’
Scarlett has said that filming the show has made a difference to how she feels about herself.
Confident: Scarlett is finally feeling happy within her skin and looked lovely in a floral dress (left) after admitting in 2017 she was miserable when she was slim (pictured in 2017 – right)
She said: ‘We went there in May and we’re still having more meals together [as a family].
‘It doesn’t sound like a big thing but I’m getting the tops of my arms out sometimes on show.’
In the Channel 4 programme, which airs on Tuesday, Scarlett lives alongside the Himba community in a Namibian tribal village.
And they in turn move into her County Durham family home.
Kind words: Scarlett was told her body looks ‘strong’ and was told ‘it looks like your dad’s cattle are healthy’ as the tribe complimented her body shape
She said: ‘I’ve never felt so not judged and happy to be in my own skin. just feel like all my day is consumed with how I look. It’s not a thing there’
While they didn’t travel to County Durham, an exact replica of the home was built in a remote corner of Africa, so the two families could live side-by-side.
Twenty thousand of their possessions, from beds to scatter cushions where transported from their home to Africa.
The home looked so similar that Scarlett said: ‘When I watch it, it looks crazy! That is my mam and dad’s house exactly how it is.
‘Sometimes I would wake up of a morning and forgot I was in Namibia and see a herd of goats in the garden.
Painstaking: Twenty thousand of their possessions, from beds to scatter cushions where transported from their home to Africa
‘It’s such an amazing experience, with my family we haven’t done anything all together since Gogglebox.’
Scarlett admitted that doing the show has made her want to focus more on her own family.
She said: ‘My best friend out there asked why we have so many things. I think maybe because I’m a bit big headed I assumed they would love the house.
‘I don’t do any cleaning, but my mam taught her best friend about the washing machine, she said you’re just lazy you’re letting the machines do all the work.
Scarlett said: ‘It’s such an amazing experience, with my family we haven’t done anything all together since Gogglebox’
‘They found us very isolated and I know we would say oh we’re very independent.
‘Candithico said to me and my little sister, “Why do you let your nan sleep in a room on her own”?’
‘I think we’re like the Dounty Durham Von Trapps and spend a lot of time together, and being there has made me realise we don’t.’
The British Tribe Next Door is in on C4 at 9.15pm on Tuesday.
Looking around: Scarlett was pictured giving a tour of her recreated home from her trip back in May
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