Vicky Pattison reveals Alcohol, My Dad and Me

Vicky Pattison made her name as a popular party girl on reality TV show Geordie Shore in her early 20s.

Since then, she has built up a successful career as a Sunday Times bestselling author, podcast host, TV presenter and a social media influencer with a huge following of five million.

However, the Newcastle-born star has always had a complicated love-hate relationship with alcohol, which she has hidden away, until now. Having watched herself on TV, Vicky freely admits that she doesn’t like who she is when she’s drunk.

She previously said that she is “mortified” looking back on her wild nights on Geordie Shore, saying she was aggressive and angry and “never a nice drunk”.

Growing up, Vicky’s dad John was a functional alcoholic, and 34-year-old Vicky is now around the same age as he was when his own addiction took hold.

Vicky is now keen to keep herself healthy, and speaks out about the devastating impact that addiction and alcohol has had on her and those around her. Undergoing medical screening, she will find out if her own lifestyle has done irreparable damage to her body and learn how our genes can lead to addictive behaviour.

In a revealing interview on The One Show a fortnight ago, Vicky admitted she was worried that she was going to end up like her father.

“That’s terrifying for me,” she told hosts Alex Scott and Ronan Keating. “I’m very well aware that my turbulent relationship with alcohol has got us into trouble in the past and been a concern. I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind that this year it was all going to unravel, it felt like this predetermined conclusion and no matter how I tried – no matter how many yoga retreats how many smoothies I drank or sober Octobers I did, I was just going to end up the same.”

But the Ex on the Beach star said making this film and speaking with her father made her realise that she has a “huge desire not to be that way”.

“I think when you’re opening up and being really vulnerable, you have to be in a really strong place mentally, and over the years I probably haven’t been,” she said. “Now [I’ve got] a lovely fella [fiancé Ercan Ramadan], a great dog, a great support system. It felt like I was strong enough to talk about these things.”

Vicky also spoke about the ‘taboo’’ surrounding alcohol and addiction and said she hopes the documentary will help other people understand it better.

“Addiction is devastating for the person who suffering but also the whole family,” she added. “[My dad] had a hard enough life as it is – he doesn’t need me giving him a hard time about [alcohol]. But I’ve learned, sometimes tough love is the only way.”

After her appearance on The One Show, viewers took to social media to praise the TV personality for her bravery.

One person wrote: “Thank you @VickyPattison for your very honest and open chat this evening on The One Show. As a former addict myself I’m really looking forward to seeing your documentary.”

No doubt more praise will flood in after the film airs tonight.