As life slowly gets back to normal and people fill up pub gardens, former party girl Vicky Pattison happily admits you’re more likely to find her doing DIY at home than out on the tiles.
Vicky, 33, moved into her dream million- pound house with boyfriend Ercan Ramadan earlier this month, and tells Closer, “I’ve no internet and I’m knee-deep in boxes, but I couldn’t be happier! It feels great to have something positive to focus on and I’m buzzing to get started with putting our personal stamp on things.”
While the pair, who have been dating since 2019, mark another milestone together, Vicky says there are no signs of wedding bells just yet. “Ercan is a constant support and I feel like I’ve landed on my feet finally, but we’re so focused on the house,” she explains.
Though she’s never felt more content, Vicky confesses that life hasn’t always been so rosy. And while the former Geordie Shore star won I’m A Celeb! in 2015, she now admits she battled crippling loneliness behind the scenes. Despite a string of jobs following her jungle success, including a nine-month stint on Loose Women, Vicky says her rise to TV stardom left her feeling isolated.
She explains, “The year after I won I’m A Celeb! was one of the loneliest I’d ever had. You’d think, given that I’d just won the biggest TV show, that I’d be on cloud nine, but I’d worked myself to the point of complete exhaustion.
I couldn’t believe the jobs that were coming my way and I didn’t want to say no in fear of never being asked again.”
She adds, “I moved to London because that’s where all the work was, but I really struggled being away from home [her native Newcastle]. I hadn’t taken into consideration the ramifications of winning a show like that and I experienced loneliness for the first time. Everyone thinks you’re smashing it and you have it figured out, but actually you’re going home to empty hotel rooms watching The Big Bang Theory and ordering room service on your own. You do really feel lost and lonely.”
As well as her struggles with fame, Vicky had tough times in her personal life too. In 2018, she hit rock bottom following the death of her best friend, Paul Burns, and the breakdown of her engagement to childhood sweetheart John Noble. But she now says that period encouraged her to be more open about her struggles, particularly on social media.
Vicky, who is working with Interflora to tackle loneliness, says, “It’s super-brave to show a side of you that you don’t always show, and for me it was a process. A while back, I went through a really tough year. I lost my best friend, my relationship broke down and I lost my grandma. Everyone goes through monumental moments and mine happened in rapid succession. I lost the energy to put forward a constantly positive façade and instead just focused on telling the truth because that’s all I had. When I was real and showed more of my scars, I started to feel less lonely because people responded to it really well.”
Vicky turned to celeb therapists Nik and Eva Speakman to help her cope with fame, and still seeks professional help. “I’m a huge advocate of speaking out when you’re having any sort of issues,” Vicky says. “I have a life coach and a therapist, and I regularly use social media to voice anything that I’m going through.”
Now, she makes a conscious effort to share posts about her mental health and has been praised for her pro-body-confidence stance. After years of yo-yoing between a size six and a 16, she has swapped intense weight-loss regimes for healthy, balanced meals and refuses to count calories.
“For years I wanted to be thin, now I just want to be well,” she says. “It’s not about endless hours in the gym and deprivation, it’s about eating well, waking up early and having energy throughout the day. It’s liberating that my first thought isn’t about jumping on the scales. My house is now scales-free.”
Check out: axed Geordie Shore stars - where are they now?
AXED Geordie Shore then and now SLIDER
1 of 64Charlotte Crosby in 2011
Charlotte Crosby takes to the red carpet before appearing in the first ever series of MTV's Geordie Shore.
2 of 64Charlotte Crosby now
Charlotte's had a massive transformation over the years, and has been smashing it in her career since her Geordie days. She hosts Just Tattoo Of Us' has released books and fitness DVDs, and a show all about her.
3 of 64Holly Hagan in 2011
Before her Geordie Shore debut, Holly Hagan looked like this.
4 of 64Holly Hagan now
Now, it would seem that Holly's taken some inspo from Kim K, as her look has drastically changed.
5 of 64Greg Lake in 2011
Greg appeared in Geordie Shore from the very beginning, but didn't make it past series one.
6 of 64Greg Lake now
Greg was married to Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe, with whom he has a baby.
7 of 64Gaz Beadle in 2011
Here's Gaz before embarking on his long-running career on Geordie Shore.
8 of 64Gary Beadle now - aged 29
In terms of poses not much has changed. But, believe it or not, this Geordie hunk has left the dating scene behind, because he's loved up with wife Emma McVey.
9 of 64James Tindale in 2011
James's debut on Geordie Shore saw him spend 90% of his time at the gym and the remaining 10% flexing his muscles in the mirror.
10 of 64James Tindale now
Looks like he stuck at it!
11 of 64Jay Gardner in 2011
'The dad of the Geordie group' Jay was the oldest member of the show. Who could forget those iconic 'brows...
12 of 64Jay Gardner now
And, years later, his brows are still on fleek.
13 of 64Vicky Pattison in 2011
Fiesty Vicky has had quite the transformation over the years...
14 of 64Vicky Pattison now
But she's since dropped her wild days and is now engaged to Ercan Ramadan.
15 of 64Sophie Kasaei in 2011
Sophie joined Geordie Shore show in series one, but was axed for her unacceptable behaviour two years later. She later returned to the show in 2016 with a slightly newer cast!
16 of 64Sophie Kasaei now
She's since glowed upppppppp, and is now back on the show.
17 of 64Ricci Guarnaccio in 2011
Ricci joined the show in series two, and had a rollercoaster of a relationship with Vicki Pattison.
18 of 64Ricci Guarnaccio now - aged 31
He now works as a DJ and occasional film actor.
19 of 64Rebecca Walker in 2012
Rebecca also joined the show in series two, and was known for her bust-ups, dramas and fallouts.
20 of 64Rebecca Walker now
Now, she's ditched the party days and has become a mum of three.
21 of 64Daniel Thomas
Dan joined Geordie Shore in the fourth series and left at the end of series five.
22 of 64Daniel Thomas now
He doesn't look all that different now, but he's certainly been enjoying life (and the gym).
23 of 64Scott Timlin 2013
Life and soul of the party Scotty T joined the show in series four.
24 of 64Scotty T now
And WHAT a career this Geordie has had. Fromwinning Celebrity Big Brotherto landing a cameo appearance in Neighbours to even having a girlfriend, he's definitely seen success in the media industry.
25 of 64Marnie Simspon 2014
Marnie entered the house in series seven. Back then, she described herself a "natural beauty".
26 of 64Marnie Simpson now - aged 25
Marnie had several cosmetic procedures done since being on the show, including a nose job, lip fillers and a boob job.
27 of 64Aaron Chalmers then
Tatted-up Aaron Chalmers joined in the eighth series and had an infamous on-off relationship with Marnie. It was SO juicy to watch.
28 of 64Aaron Chalmers now
Aaron quit Geordie Shore to focus on his career as an MMA fighter, along with his spending more time on his relationship.
29 of 64Kyle Christie then
How young does Kyle look?! We barely even recognised this Geordie Shore star.
30 of 64Kyle Christie now
Well HELLO there Kyle. Talk about a transformation people.
31 of 64Marty McKenna
Marty McKenna was the cheeky chappie who joined the cast along with Chantelle Connelly who didn't quite cut the mustard with the all alpha boys – especially after he played Chloe and tashed on with Charlotte behind Gaz's back.
32 of 64Marty McKenna
Marty was axed from the show along with Scotty T for bad behaviour, but while Scotty was reinstated and is now one of the longest serving Geordie Shore cast members EVER, Marty didn't make the cut.He's grown some stubble, and is dating a fellow Geordie lass called Kat.
33 of 64Chantelle Connelly
Pint size Chantelle Connelly was determined to cause chaos when she entered the house, and certainly made some enemies during her brief stint on the show.
34 of 64Chantelle Connelly
Chantelle baffled the world over when she shared a picture of herself with some impressive abs at five months pregnant, leading some fans to speculate she was faking her pregnancy.
35 of 64Abbie Holborn
The longest lasting housemate from the prolific Radgie Rampage series, Abbie Holborn initially set her sights on Love Island's Sam Gowland before he got together with Chloe.
36 of 64Abbie Holborn
Abbie wasn't in the promo for series 19, but denied she'd been sacked when she took to Twitter to say, "Oh, I've been sacked apparently..."She later turned up a caused a stir by snogging new boy Beau Brennan, who'd been getting close to new girl Bethan Kershaw.
37 of 64Elettra Lambourghini
Quite frankly, we couldn't understand why Elettra ACTUAL Lamborghini, heiress to the actual Italian car business, was even in Newcastle in the first place.
38 of 64Elettra Lamborghini
Elettra has returned to Italy to pursue her one true dream of becoming a popstar.
39 of 64Eve Shannon
As part of a fresh line up of cast members for the Radgie Rampage series for 2017, Eve Shannon broke the mould with BLONDE HAIR (shocker)
40 of 64Eve Shannon
Eve had been living her best Insta-influencer life and posting plenty of sexy lingerie selfies on her social feeds. She's also got an Only Fans account, favourited by fellow G Shore alumni Holly Hagan.
41 of 64Billy Phillips
Brought on for the same season, Billy Phillips didn't make enough of an impression and was axed from the show after just one series.
42 of 64Billy Phillips
Still doing the rounds as a lad about 'toon, Billy looks to have settled down with a nice Geordie lass. Hiscousin Nat has joined the show for series 19.
43 of 64Chelsea Barber
Also to leave was Chelsea Barber, who fell out with long time pal Marnie Simpson in the house over Aaron Chalmers.
44 of 64Chelsea Barber
Chelsea dated Kyle Christie long before either of them joined the G Shore cast, and claimed that after his split from Holly Hagan he was right back in touch.
45 of 64Sam Bentham
One Radge Academy to make the cut slightly longer term was Sam Bentham, who reportedly dated Charlotte Crosby way back in 2014 after meeting at one of the infamous Geordie Shore house parties.
46 of 64Sam Bentham
Now heavily tattooed, Sam has put his reality TV past behind him and opened up a trendy barber shop in his native Hoults in Newcastle, and has styled the hair of Kyle Christie and Marty McKenna.
47 of 64Sarah Goodhart
Sarah Goodhart was enrolled into the Radge Academy thanks to her links to Marty McKenna. The two dated as teenagers, and sparks instantly few between her and Marty's current squeeze Chloe Ferry.
48 of 64Sarah Goodhart
Sarah now has 23k subscribers to her YouTube channel, where she makes honest, emotional videos about her time on Geordie Shore. Recently she uploaded an 18 minute one where she claimed producers had manipulated and taken advantage of her, leading her to quit her job before she was made permanent.
49 of 64Zahida Allen
Zahida Allen entered the Geordie Shore house fresh from the more exotic coastlines of Ex on the Beach, claiming she had 'unfinished business' with Gaz Beadle.
50 of 64Zahida Allen
Zahida was reportedly dropped from Geordie Shore after she failed to act upon her 'unfinished business' wit Gaz, leaving producers disappointed.
51 of 64Grant Molloy
The casting of Grant Molloy was contentious from the very beginning, after Chloe Ferry threw a tantrum demanding he was removed after hearing bad things about him from friends on the 'toon. It was especially awkward when he made firm friends with Chloe's boyfriend, Sam Gowland.
52 of 64Grant Molloy
After just one series on Geordie Shore, Grant returned to focusing on his two true loves – playing rugby and getting lots of tattoos.
53 of 64Alex MacPherson
Another day, another Geordie shake up. For series 17 the cast moved over to Australia's Golden coast. Alex MacPherson was the long haired adonis who quickly hooked up with G Shore LEDGE Sophie Kasaei.
54 of 64Alex MacPherson
Other than spending lots of time in the gym, Alex has clearly been missing his Geordie besties as he's been posting plenty of throwback pics to his instagram.
55 of 64Chrysten Zenoni
Bikini model Chrysten Zenoni quickly caught the eye of the lads and ruffled more than a few feathers with the girls – man handling Sam's crown jewels as well as claiming she slept with former cast member Gary Beadle while he was on a promotional tour in Oz and still together with Lillie Lexie Gregg.
56 of 64Chrysten Zenoni
Chrysten is still modeling swimwear on the Sunshine Coast, and not long after appearing on Geordie Shore joined the cast of Ex on the Beach, where she revealed she'd also had a fling with reality TV's biggest lothario, Stephen Bear.
57 of 64Dee Nygen
Smiley smiley pole dancer Dee Nygen made no secret of her desire to "get a shag" in the house. She made a beeline for Adam Guthrie when he came into the house midway through the season, who later branded her "easy" – charming.
58 of 64Dee Nygen
Super fit Dee has recently taken part in grueling reality show The Challenge: War of the Worlds alongside Bear and Love Island's Georgia Harrison.
59 of 64Nick Murdoch
Nick boasted about the fact that he'd dumped his girlfriend by text the night before filming started because he didn't want to cheat on her, and then threw a tantrum when Chloe Ferry and Sam Gowland wanted the shag pad after not seeing each other for days.
60 of 64Nick Murdoch
Perhaps embarrassed by his stint on the show, Nick's chosen to shun the Australian limelight and has set his social profiles to PRIVATE, which is unheard of in reality TV world.
61 of 64Adam Guthrie
Adam Guthrie entered the house halfway through the Gold Coast series, despite being a bona fide Geordie through and through.
62 of 64Adam Guthrie
Adam has been enjoying the raised profile of being on G Shore by posting lots of pouty selfies. He returned in series 19 as a part timer.
63 of 64Faith Mullen
Producers decided to shake things up with Faith Mullen, a plus-sized influencer and Christian who believes sex before marriage is a sin.
64 of 64Faith Mullen
Faith was originally billed to return to the show part time but declined to come back after producers hired her arch nemesis. In the mean time, she's been doing what all youths should be doing and living her best life on holiday with her mates.
Like many, Vicky admits it was difficult being away from loved ones during the pandemic. “This last year has been dead hard for everyone. I’m so close to my family and friends, plus my sister had a baby and I’ve missed so many precious moments,” she says. “When things get back to normal, I’m definitely making up for lost time.”
“I’ve learned not to be afraid to show a vulnerable side of myself online and to encourage others not to be obsessed with this unrealistic image of perfection that people display. I’ve developed a real acceptance with myself – and I’m happier for it!”
WATCH: Sophie Kasaei and Nathan Henry play the Geordie Shore quiz
READ MORE
How Khloe Kardashian and Jacqueline Jossa have bonded over their insecurities
My tips for coping with isolation – and coming out of lockdown
Honesty and openness helps
These days we’re saturated with technology and assume loneliness shouldn’t be an issue, but it’s become an epidemic. As someone with nearly five million followers on Instagram, I know full well that social media doesn’t tell you the whole story. Feeling lonely doesn’t mean that you don’t have people around you – it’s the feeling that no one around you cares. What helps is honesty and openness.
Encourage dialogue
We have so many trivial conversations where we say, ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ but we don’t go further. Don’t brush your thoughts under the carpet, describe to someone how you’re actually feeling and what you need. If you’re concerned about someone, don’t be afraid to probe further and ask more questions.
Make ‘real world’ connections
Take notice of the friend who doesn’t return your calls, the pal who doesn’t respond in group chats, or turns down events. If you’re concerned, try a small gesture like sending flowers, or writing a card to connect with someone in the ‘real world’.
Interflora is working with Vicky and Samaritans to break the silence around loneliness, and encourage people to reach out to friends who are struggling. If you’re worried about someone, visit Samaritans.