Scotty T’s life lessons

Reality star Scotty T, 30, opens up about ADHD, toxic relationships, and why he regrets not spending more time with his granddad. Here, he reveals what he’s learnt…

‘LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES’

“In order to move forward, you have to learn from your mistakes. I’ve learnt from so many silly things I’ve done – they’re countless! Joining Geordie Shore seven years ago was a learning curve – I became famous overnight, I was partying like crazy and suddenly people were interested in everything that I did. There was even a photo with my w***y out once, and people made such a fuss about it, but I was only joking around. I don’t go out partying as much now because I feel a lot more settled. I’m much happier now and I don’t dwell on any regrets.

‘TAKE EACH DAY AS IT COMES’

“I grew up with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), which was tough. I would get easily side-tracked, I couldn’t sit still and I’d get so worked up I’d cry or go mad, or I’d lose my temper. But now I’m older, I’ve learnt how to live with being so hyper all the time and it just means that I have a lot of energy! The only downside now is that I can be quite indecisive and I’ve never really had much direction. For me, it’s important to take each day as it comes. I’ve got a different mind-set and I have a very different outlook on life. I try to chill out, do my own thing and look after myself – but one goal I do keep is to make sure I’m always on time!”

‘MAKE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY’

“I’ve always been close to my family, but I wish I could have spent more time with my granddad before he passed away – that’s one thing I do regret. I was so close to him. He was such a clever bloke. He taught me everything when I was a kid and was always there for me. He understood my ADHD and had all the time in the world for me. I wish I could have done more and been there when he passed away, but I was young and you see things differently then. I can remember the day he died like it was yesterday and I wish I could go back and tell him how much he meant to me.”

‘DON’T STAY IN A BAD ROMANCE’

“I’ve dated quite a few girls in the limelight (Scotty dated former Miss Newcastle Francesca Toole for two years and has also been linked to reality stars Megan Mckenna, Marnie Simpson and Jordan), but I don’t stress about being in a relationship. I love it when you meet someone and instantly click, but when a romance goes toxic, you’ve got to let it go and accept your time together is over. It’s always really heartbreaking but you shouldn’t bend over backwards trying to fix something that is broken.”

‘KNOW EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON’

“Sometimes I wish I’d finished university, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I got A*s in my A-levels, then went on to study Marine Engineering at Newcastle for two years. I took a year out to go travelling and run club events in Newcastle – that’s when I got the call for Geordie Shore and I never went back to uni. I turned down the producers at first, but they pestered me and eventually I just went, “Yeah, go on.” Now, looking back, it changed my life and I’m so glad I took the chance after all!”

‘TRY NOT TO JUDGE’

“Winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I never truly realised the huge amount of support I actually had in my hometown of Newcastle. People had every bit of faith in me and they were so happy when I won. When I returned home, it was so nice to see everyone who had backed me – even people I hadn’t spoken to in ages were there. They were just so happy for me and told me how much I deserved to win. I think the reason I won was because people got to see me in a different light. Everyone usually just sees me p***ed on Geordie Shore, but I’m actually just a nice, normal kid. Obviously, I’ve got my wild side, but who doesn’t? I’m just doing my own thing. It was nice to know people didn’t judge me on my past antics – I try not to judge others, too.”