My Life in Telly with… Vicky Pattison: 'Geordie Shore was detrimental to my mental health'

She made a name for herself as one of the founding members of MTV’s Geordie Shore in 2011, but most viewers will recognise Vicky Pattison as the winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015.

The 31-year-old reality star has since cultivated a career for herself as a successful TV presenter, with stints on ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women, as well as Judge Geordie and Ex On The Beach: Body SOS on MTV.

Vicky, who grew up in Newcastle, had turned her back on reality TV before deciding to share the run-up to her wedding to John Noble in a TV special. However, the project took an unexpected twist when the pair split up and so instead on filming preparations for the big day, TLC captured the break-up and its aftermath on camera for a one-off show, Vicky Pattison: The Break Up.

Speaking exclusively to BT TV, Vicky revealed the highlights of her television career to date, including her “euphoric and unexpected” I’m A Celebrity win...

Geordie Shore - 2011-2014

Describe your time on the show in three words…

Bag of sh*t [laughs].

Tell me about the moment you were cast on Geordie Shore...

I’m often quite scornful about Geordie Shore and I don’t think that’s necessarily fair. I’m grateful for the experience, and I’m very lucky that I was given that platform, to go on to everything else that I did [TV-wise], but I found it toxic.

I found it detrimental to my mental health and I’ve been very honest about that over the years.

It’s an incredibly difficult environment to be in. You are encouraged to drink a lot, to verbalise every single thought you have, to just not be a mature member of society.

It’s difficult, especially for someone like me who is often very neurotic and beats themselves up over stuff, the anxieties and stresses I would feel after the rows, they just led to us being really, really, a bit of a mess, as a person.

So I can remember getting the show, finding out I had it, and being over the moon actually. I’d just graduated uni, I had a degree in drama, media and cultural studies, and I was working in [clothing store] G-Star, and I was working in bars and clubs in the night time, I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew I wanted more.

It was something that I was excited about, and I would never change it for the world, but I regret some of the things I did on there.

But nonetheless, I made some fantastic memories, I met some brilliant people, travelled the world, it’s got us where I am now, I can’t ever be ungrateful. A little regretful, but not ungrateful!

What’s your one highlight from filming Geordie Shore?

There are a lot. With all due respect, I got to travel so extensively, and for someone that had just come out of uni and had that amount of student debt, not a penny to her name, that was really, really incredible, so I’ll always be grateful to MTV for that opportunity.

Probably the best thing for me was going to Australia. Australia has since then become my happy place, and a place where I’ve had my most pivotal moments in life. That’s where I won the jungle [in I’m A Celebrity, 2015].

Whenever something negative or tough is happening in my life, I often find if I run off there, positive things will come.

When I did that series of Geordie Shore [in Australia], I met Dan Conn, and he is one handsome hunk of man, and apart from that just a lovely fella.

I was off the back of a really toxic and negative break-up then as well and he encouraged me to have faith in men again, so I think Australia and travelling, I’d like to thank Geordie Shore for, definite highlights, and Dan Conn in general.

Watch a clip of Vicky in Geordie Shore Australia during series 6:

What’s something people won’t know about your time on the show?

I mean the nature of Geordie Shore, you know everything about us. You film 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are certain things that are just deemed too much for TV, which I couldn’t even think of now.

Looking back I’m sure they were super important to me. At the time I bet I was furious that I was portrayed a certain way, or the full story wasn’t explained or whatever, but looking back now, it was so long ago, and so essentially inconsequential as far as I’m concerned.

Would you do it again?

God no, absolutely not. I can see how it’s still going, because I think the format’s fantastic, and I understand why people are still watching it, I get it, but for me, I went out on Friday night for a couple of drinks and crazy golf, and I swear to God I’m still rough [days later].

I just couldn’t do it. I’d be the miserable old cow sitting in the corner saying “the music’s too loud, can we get a pizza?”

So no, I just think I’d embarrass myself if I went on it now, but fair play to all those young’uns that can still run and gun. Go for it, man!

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! - 2015

Describe your time on the show in three words…

Life-changing experience!

Tell me about the moment you were cast for I’m A Celeb...

So I went and sat down with the show’s executives, and I’d been wanting to do I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for years, but they refused to even see me because I was quite frankly Geordie Shore scum.

But I went, and they were hesitant at first, which is understandable, it was the first year I think they’d agreed to meet anybody [from the show], they actually met me and Gaz [Beadle], that’s something youse don’t know. We were in separate meetings.

Anyway, we went and [the execs] were chatting and they were asking us loads of questions, [like] “What are you scared of? Would you fall in love in the jungle? What are you gonna bring?” and all this sorta stuff.

Then we concluded [the meeting] and they said to me, “Is there anything you want to ask?” and I said “No there’s nothing I want to ask, there’s just something I want to add: ‘I’d be good at this. I’m not pushing it on you, I’m just telling you, I’d be really good at this’.”

I walked out feeling like, you know when you’ve had a job interview and you think “I did the best I could do there. If they don’t hire me after that, then they just don’t want me, and I’m not right for it”.

But something inside of us was like, “this will change everything for you, this will be pivotal”.

A couple of months later I got the call to say I was in. I never, ever thought I was going to win. I probably thought I was going to be kicked out first if truth be told. But I knew I was going to give it my all, so I’m very pleased that I got given the opportunity.

Very lucky bug, mind the pun!

What’s your one highlight from filming I’m A Celeb?

Winning! Winning something like that and knowing that the public are behind you is a feeling that I’ve never been able to replicate, and I’ll probably spend the rest of my life trying to replicate for that matter, because it’s such a high, it’s such a euphoric feeling, that you think… you chase it, you absolutely chase it.

So yeah, that was incredible. It was all the way through. The rapport I had with Ant and Dec, meeting Ferne [McCann], Jorgie Porter, George Shelley, Tony Hadley, Duncan Bannatyne, Yvette Fielding, Susannah Constantine, Lady C, Kieron Dyer, Chris Eubank, Brian Friedman, all of them, everyone there.

I was a fan of that show. I was someone that watched it religiously, and never thought in a million years they’d touch someone like me with a barge pole, and there I was on it, rubbing shoulders with these legends. I felt like all my Christmasses had come at once. I couldn’t believe my luck.

The entire experience itself was mind-blowing, and yeah winning was good, but doing it, just being able to there, that was enough. I mean, winning was canny class! [laughs]

Watch the moment Vicky was crowned Queen of the Jungle in I’m A Celeb 2015:

What’s something people won’t know about your time on the show?

Nobody liked us at first. How about that? When me and Ferne first went in, they just did not like us.

They’d already started to build a rapport [with each other], friendships were being formed, and relationships were already starting to come to fruition. Me and Ferne rocked up three days in, but to them it was unfair, and there were people being distrustful of us.

We were reality TV as well, and they of course all believed they had crafts, and talents, which they quite rightly did the majority of them. We were just the reality TV people sent in to ruin it, to make it car crash, to make it controversial, to get headlines, and mine and Ferne’s honest intentions couldn’t have been further from the truth.

We were so desperate to fit in, quickly as well, acclimatise as fast as we could, to be hands on, to be part of the camp, we had no desire to cause trouble or antagonise anyone, but unfortunately our presence did that initially. So we dealt with some controversy when we went in.

I remember people saying, “We didn’t think we were going to like you, but you’re actually all right”.

It was tough going, but we broke them down. Quite quickly I think. It’s difficult to dislike Ferne, and I did alright. It’s dead easy to dislike the idea of me, and Ferne for that matter, I completely understand. Reality TV background, feisty women, both got gobs on us, colourful relationship histories, I get it.

But the reality’s different. We’re just normal, and we both couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to be there. We felt grateful, we felt fortunate, and we just wanted to be part of it, and we wanted to get our hands dirty. It’s hard to dislike that. It’s hard to dislike normality and kindness.

Would you do it again?

I did do it again, didn’t I! I went and did I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia, in South Africa.

It was not the same. I didn’t know who anyone was. I knew Paul Burrell and that was it. The show’s also not as hard. I sound like I’m being really derogatory now, a proper sore loser because I didn’t win that one, but our one is tougher I’d say.

They’re in there for longer in the Australian version, you’re in there for six weeks, so they have to feed you a little bit more, and the trials have to be a little bit easier.

So no I think, I’m very biased, but our jungle is the toughest, and I couldn’t replicate that feeling. I came very close, bonded with a couple of people in there, had a great time, love Australia still, but no it wasn’t the same as the English one.

Loose Women - 2016

Like they were talking about their divorces, their kids, or how they didn’t like sex, at the time I couldn’t even get a fella to text us back! I wasn’t qualified to be there, and it became blatantly apparent that I was out of place, so it didn’t last long.

I wish them all the best, I did love being a part of it, but I think maybe it’s something I’d do when I’m a little bit older, or I’ve got a couple more experience notches on the old bed post. Mind you I have had quite a traumatic year, I’d probably go back, I’d probably fit in now! I’ve had enough happen to us.

What’s your one highlight from Loose Women?

I met Anastacia, who is literally my girl crush from growing up… [sings I’m Outta Love]... all her little crop tops and that. She was amazing. She said “Oh my God I love your accent” and I was like “Yeah, let’s go out and have a drink, let’s be best friends!” so that was the best moment of my life to date… after the jungle.

What’s something people won’t know about your time on the show?

That I feel like I rubbed Janet Street-Porter up the wrong way. I feel like she hated us. I hope she didn’t, because I quite liked her… yeah I feel like Janet won’t have missed us when I went [laughs].

Would you do it again?

I would do it again, yes, I just would have to be ready. I’d have to do some growing, some life experience-ing, and I’d have to see if they wanted me back. I don’t think I left the best impression!

Ex on the Beach: Body SOS - 2018

Describe your time on the show in three words…

Inspirational, motivational, fun.

Tell me about the moment you were cast for Ex on the Beach: Body SOS, or were told it was going ahead?

So I’d been a big fan of Khloe Kardashian’s Revenge Body [on E!], and wanted to do something similar in the UK. I met with a number of different networks and thought it placed best at MTV.

So when I met with the head commissioner to discuss the concept of the programme, she said “Don’t take this anywhere else, we love it, we had something similar in mind for you anyway, let’s get wheels in motion”, so we did, we made it, and I thought it was brilliant, and we helped a lot of people, and it was fun to make.

It was f***ing hard work. We filmed it for six months, I felt like I lived it for about a year with these people, really trying to help them reach their goals, and it was such a heartwarming, genuinely lovely show. I personally just believe in retrospect that it was probably on the wrong channel.

It’s so hard. MTV is swearing, shagging and shouting, there’s nothing wrong with that, I’d be a big hypocrite if I said I had something wrong with that, I enjoy all of those things, not necessarily in equal measure, but they then stripped it back, and made it a 7pm show, so there was no swearing, no shagging, no shouting, I mean there was never any sex, although that is good for cardio.

It was a misguided decision in my opinion. I love the show, but I think it was on the wrong network, or at the wrong time [on the right network]. But you live and learn don’t you?

What’s your one highlight from filming that show?

There was so many lovely people that I met, like being there for them and watching them grow as people, was enriching.

There was a guy called Deano who I fell in love with hook line and sinker - a chatty lad from Essex. A girl called Becky who is now planning her wedding to the man of her dreams, that is something I’ll always be thankful for being a part of. Paige who was a beautiful mum to two little boys: I absolutely adored her and how hard she worked and how kind of a person she was… these are people that I still keep in touch with now.

I would say the highlight of that [show] was meeting those amazing people, and seeing them work hard, and I really hope wherever they are they’re still doing well, if I don’t keep in touch with them.

What’s something people won’t know about your time on the show?

Oh God, I don’t know!

Would you do it again?

I would do it again in a heartbeat! But maybe it’s more of a TLC format. Who knows?

Vicky Pattison: The Break Up - 2019

Describe your time on the show in three words…

Raw, powerful and hopeful.

Tell me about the moment you were cast for the show, or were told it was going ahead?

So when me and [my ex-fiancé] John [Noble] first got engaged, a prospect of doing a reality TV show just wasn’t even on the table, but as time lapsed and stuff, I thought it would be a really nice way to actually make sure we had some momentum with wedding planning, because we were just doing nothing, so I thought if we have a driving force behind us, like a filming schedule, we might actually get somewhere with it, so that’s how it started.

And as you all know, the road to success is never smooth, and from being a wedding show, it then ended up being a show about my break-up because John cheated on me in Dubai - with most of Dubai [laughs].

So then, we decided to, from the rubble of my doomed relationship, make something positive, and hopefully quite inspirational and uplifting.

When everything came out [with the cheating rumours], I was given the opportunity to walk away from the project, but that’s not who I am.

I didn’t want to tell girls that a couple of bad chapters defines your story, makes you who you are, I didn’t want to show the world that what he did had broken me, I didn’t want to let him have control over the one element of my life that I still thought was truly mine, my career.

So I strapped on my lady balls and decided to keep going; it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Tough, but the best.

It was cathartic, and therapeutic, and I know I did the right thing, and if I help one person, one woman going through a break-up, if I let her know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, or that this isn’t going to define her, and that there will be happiness after this, then I consider everything I went through in this show a success.

Would you be up for doing another show with TLC, like a reality show about your life?

I’ve loved working with TLC. In an incredibly tasking and dark time, I’ve found them to be sensitive and respectful, and that’s resonated with me. It’s been a breath of fresh air and I would love to work with them again.

We’ve had a one-hour special, who knows, maybe there’s a series in the pipeline with me and my fantastic friends, some celeb cameos, getting us back out on the dating scene, travelling, more of me and Pete [Wicks], the long-haired lothario. Who knows? It would be nice.

I would love to do something about empowering women. Pete could help, because he looks like a girl!

If you haven't seen Vicky Pattison: The Break Up, you can watch a trailer for the show here: