Vicky Pattison admits she ‘deserves’ to be happy with boyfriend Ercan Ramadan

She has gulped down creepy crawlies in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, survived the madness of the Geordie Shore house, and braved live daytime TV exposure, but Vicky Pattison is now looking for something even more challenging.

The reality star says she is looking to take on something “physically demanding” to “blow off the cobwebs” after lockdown left her feeling “stagnant”.

She says: “My year’s been thrown into a total tailspin, which I’m sure a lot of people can relate to. There was a big job that I’ve had my heart set on doing for years, obviously it fell to the wayside with corona, like a lot of things did.

“I’m rolling with the punches and after six months of feeling super hemmed in and a little bit stagnant I’d love to do something tough, something physically demanding and push myself.

“I’ll probably cry when I do it and regret it, longing for the Tiger King and banana bread days of lockdown, but I’m ready for the challenge.”

In the meantime, she has gone from brunette to blonde and teamed up with Weight Watchers, now calling itself WW, to challenge the nation to get moving.

She says: “It’s 30 minutes, five times a week. It can be absolutely everything, whatever floats your boat, whether you’re a legs, bums and tums kinda girl or you prefer Pilates.

“I’m a ‘keep your body on your toes’ kinda gal. For ages I was just weights, weights, weights, but your body gets used to whatever you put it through.

“I’ve learned over time that the best thing to do when it comes to exercise is to constantly keep challenging yourself. It’s a good way to keep your mind sharp too.”

Vicky has been in the public eye for almost 10 years since appearing on MTV’s riotous Geordie Shore reality show, going on to win I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015 before joining the Loose Women panel in 2016.

She also made it to the final of Celebrity Masterchef last year.

But while she has built a successful career in the past decade, her personal life has not always gone so well.

She suffered a very public heartbreak in 2018, when her fiance John Noble was caught canoodling with a girl in a Dubai nightclub.

She and Ricci Guarnaccio had a turbulent relationship when they were both appearing on Geordie Shore. They were engaged, but called it off in 2013.

She has been in a happy relationship for a year and a half with Ercan Ramadan, and says: “I’ve had a pretty tempestuous love life over the last 10 years. I think I thoroughly deserve this lovely partner I have now.

“I’ve spent my whole life with fellas who I thought were alpha male types.

“I’m strong, I’m opinionated, I’m gobby and my life’s in the public eye.

“I thought someone who was going to be able to deal with that had to be super secure in themselves and I made the mistake of assuming that was an alpha male, the loudest person in the room.

“But sometimes the people who shout the loudest are the people who are the most insecure.”

Ercan, 35, is a former builder who has appeared on ITV2 reality show The Only Way Is Essex.

Vicky says: “Ercan walks into a room and he’s super unassuming. He doesn’t demand anyone’s attention, but I guarantee that by the time he’s left everyone will be saying they like him.

“He’s calm, secure and supportive, he’s not showy. He’s super happy and content in who he is and he’s really accepting of who I am. He’s kind and that’s probably the most important thing. It’s what I’ve been missing for the last 16 years.”

Vicky, from Newcastle, worked in call centres as well as on the door of some of the city’s nightclubs before finding fame.

She studied drama at Liverpool John Moores University before she was chosen for MTV reality series Geordie Shore.

Her no-nonsense attitude and witty one-liners made her one of the most popular characters, and led to her own spin-off show, Judge Geordie, in which she tried to sort out problems between couples, friends and families.

Vicky won the 15th series of I’m A Celebrity in December 2015, and later presented Extra Camp with Joe Swash, another former winner.

She became a permanent panel member on ITV chat show Loose Women in 2016.

Even in lockdown she managed to make an estimated £208,000 from sponsored posts to her 4.6 million Instagram followers.

But like many people, she also found lockdown gave her a new perspective.

She says: “I don’t want to rush through life any more, I want to be grateful for what I’ve got and appreciate the things I’ve achieved.

“I’m so goal driven I’ve not lived in the moment for the last 10 years. No matter what happens, whether I buy a house, get the job I want or a new relationship, I’m so keen for the next step I don’t live in the present.

“Hopefully lockdown has taught us all to have self care and put ourselves first sometimes. I’m such a planner, I make lists for everything. During lockdown I found a lot of calm in planning out my day. Even if just the night before, whipping out my journal and writing down what I was grateful for.”

It also helps her keep control of her weight.

She was a size 16 after her split from Ricci Guarnaccio, but after a year was down to a size 6, a time when she says she was at her “most miserable”.

Now she’s determined not to stress about her weight.

She says: “In the past I’ve agonised over it and it’s counterproductive.”

And when it comes to her future, Vicky is sticking to her new mantra of enjoying the here and now.

She says: “I’d love to get married, have kids, buy a house together… but lockdown has taught me to be super grateful about what I’ve got.”

*To start your own weight loss and wellness journey with WW – Weight Watchers Reimagined, sign up at www.ww.com

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