Drama, tears and plenty of emotionally fuelled moments should be expected as we gear up to see whether Scarlett Moffatt can finally pass her driving test, on the 14th attempt.
Viewers will join Scarlett behind the wheel on her own lessons, with cameras capturing every driving disaster or minor scrape in this new 10-part BBC One series.
Scarlett first started learning to drive aged 17 but despite countless personal achievements and successes since, getting a driving licence has always evaded her.
Now, she has opened the doors to a unique driving school in Teesside to not only bag her own licence, but to help other learner drivers of all ages struggling to pass their tests.
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The Northern Echo headed to Middlesbrough Town Hall during filming in June 2022 to see what the series is all about, and to chat with Scarlett about what the show has taught her regarding her approach to driving.
In some cases luckless drivers have been learning for decades, with others even failing their test as many times as Scarlett.
Each week, one learner will attend Scarlett’s driving school with a long-suffering family member or friend who has patiently taken on the role of coaching them outside of professional lessons, with little luck, until now.
She won’t be alone, however, and two professional instructors are on hand at the school to feed crucial tips and advice to the loved ones turned amateur teachers via an earpiece during a five-day crash course.
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Showcasing our beautiful region, viewers can enjoy glimpses of Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire as hopefuls get behind the wheel.
Scarlett told The Northern Echo: “I know more than anyone how difficult driving can be and how often there’s just a mental block and whether people have told you you’re just not meant to drive, it can really have an effect on you.
“We’ve all had such a good laugh filming the series and getting to the root of why some people have such problems passing their test.
“For such a long time I was embarrassed to admit how many times I’d taken and failed my test but I want others to know that it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, if you’ve got the guts to give it another go despite everything then that’s amazing.”
“There’s been tears and there’s been a lot of laughs and although of course driving is serious, we need to make driving fun again and take the pressure off.”
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There’s dual carriageway stalls, burned-out handbrakes, near misses, and navigation nightmares, as the learners bid to finally rip up those L plates and hit the road.
The series is not just about driving, it’s about relationships, helping the couples and taking the heat and stress out of driving.
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Along the way, our learners also share touching moments with their loved ones as they drive towards a common goal.
Scarlett’s Driving School has been produced for BBC One by Frieda.TV.
Commissioned by BBC Factual and BBC England, this 10-part series starts on Monday, February 13 at 8.30pm.
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