Scott returns from the Red Nose Desert Trek
Scott returned to his own show after completing the Red Nose Desert Trek, sounding relieved to be back in his own bed and deeply thankful to the people who had supported it. Radio 1 listeners alone had raised more than half a million pounds for Comic Relief, a total Scott said was far beyond anything he had expected when the challenge began.
Greg James came in to congratulate him and draw out the stories that had accumulated over five intense days. Scott said his feet were not the main problem by the end, it was his brain: the walk, heat and abrupt return to cities, cars and crowds had left him feeling slightly overwhelmed. Sleeping in a zipped tent had been manageable, but only because he had been determined to keep insects out.
The camp provided plenty of bizarre memories. Scott’s late-night “tent rave” had prompted concern that he had gone mad on day two, while Craig David was revealed as the serene and improbably polished neighbour in the next tent. Scott could hear Craig singing one of his own songs at dawn, saw him doing press-ups by torchlight, and remained amazed that he still smelt of cocoa butter in 48-degree heat.
He also spoke warmly about the people he had trekked with. Olly Murs had struggled with a stomach bug, Lorraine Kelly had plenty of stories Scott could not quite share on air, and the whole group had learned how quickly a demanding expedition strips life back to essentials. Scott planned to write down as much as he could remember before the details escaped him.
The rest of the show gently eased him back into normal Radio 1 life, including an update from unlucky Gary McFly, who had become trapped in a car wash. But the real outcome was the fundraising. Scott repeatedly thanked listeners, and the return broadcast made the scale of their collective achievement unmistakable.
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