Vicky Pattison’s heartbreaking confession shows the real magic of Strictly Come Dancing

Vicky Pattison broke my heart on Strictly Come Dancing last Saturday.

The 37-year-old former Geordie Shore star and her partner Kai Widdrington floated effortlessly across the dance floor to Sam Fender’s Rein Me In. I thought it was seamless – and suddenly, she’s become a real contender to win.

After rave reviews from the judges and being told she ‘could actually probably, maybe, possibly go all the way’ by Shirley Ballas, Vicky was in tears.

But my heart sank when she later said to Claudia Winkleman: ‘I haven’t really done an awful lot of stuff to make the North East proud, especially at the start of my career, so it feels really nice to be able to turn a corner on Strictly and have all my family and friends watch us and maybe make them proud.’

There will be large swathes of Strictly Come Dancing viewers who know little about this Newcastle darling. 

Many older Strictly fans in particular won’t have even heard of Geordie Shore, the MTV reality show that thrived on its young cast getting ‘absolutely mortal’ on camera, then waking up with regret in front of its gripped audience.

It was packed with drunk sex, comically absurd swearing, and was about as undignified as television can get. 

Somehow, though, it always felt strangely charming – largely because some (not all) of its stars were surprisingly likeable, quick-witted, and much smarter than MTV would have you believe.

Vicky was all of that, even if she didn’t always get it right. Her love life was a disaster, and we saw her at the centre of several toxic relationships, and plenty of blazing rows.

In 2014, she pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid community service after throwing a high-heeled shoe at another clubber.

It wasn’t her finest hour – and ultimately, it should have been career-ending. But thankfully, Vicky has grown a lot.

One of the reasons I’ve always admired her is that she’s constantly learning and evolving. She’s painfully aware of the first impression she made on the public, but should she really be defined by her actions as a 22-year-old?

I might not know anyone who’s been charged with assault, but I went to university with plenty of Vicky Pattisons being carried out of tacky nightclubs, drenched in spilled Sambuca shots. I loved them too. Unsurprisingly, they’re nothing like the reckless students I remember them to be.

Vicky was arguably the star of Geordie Shore’s early seasons. And it was always clear to me she was destined for bigger and better things.

After leaving Geordie Shore, Vicky was crowned Queen of the Jungle, winning I’m A Celebrity in 2015. She instantly won viewers over with her quick wit and big heart. Despite her past, she proved she could be a family-friendly hit without making any compromises.

Her jungle victory opened countless doors: she became a Loose Women panellist, made hard-hitting documentaries, and presented a huge list of shows — albeit with varying degrees of success.

But her most impressive feat has been her vulnerability. Vicky is candid and honest about her mental health, her past, and her mistakes.

That’s part of why, nearly 15 years after Geordie Shore introduced her to the world, she’s shown a longevity few would have predicted.

Vicky was the 11th contestant to be announced and was arguably the most recognisable name on the list. She’s already done so much reality TV – I was actually a little surprised to see her announced, thinking I’d seen every side of her.

It turns out there was a side we hadn’t seen though: Vicky the performer. 

In week one, Vicky was, at least on the surface, the most nervous contestant.

She was trembling, you could see the fear in her eyes before she took to the stage. But as soon as she started dancing, the shift in her was immediate.

Something came over and her Cha Cha was so confident, so energetic and so alive. 

Again, she received glowing review, albeit with some constructive criticism, but the main takeaway was: ‘Don’t be nervous.’ 

Technically, there are better dancers. She’s currently sitting steady in the middle of the leaderboard but Vicky’s unshakeable humility, great craic and willingness to to dive head first into the unknown are all ingredients for a great Strictly star.

She’s so easy to root for, whether you’re familiar with her or not, no matter her scores I’m sure she’s only going to gain more fans week on week. 

Now, she’s looking increasingly likely to become the first person to win both I’m A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing – which would, without doubt, make the North East proud.

Over the years, I actually think she’s become a more-than-worthy ambassador for her hometown – and Strictly is just the latest, not the only, reason the North East should be proud of her.

Strictly has become a brilliant platform for reality stars to rebrand themselves as respectable and ready for mainstream success.

Mark Wright was the quintessential ‘villain’ of The Only Way Is Essex — seemingly cold, egotistical, and cruel. He did well on I’m A Celebrity, but it was Strictly that softened his image and made him the inescapable TV presence he is today. 

The public loved him. He co-presented This Morning, and even appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? — a docuseries usually reserved for celebs of a more ‘respectable’ calibre.

Similarly, these days, Love Island alums Tasha Ghouri and Zara McDermott are better known for their activism, thanks to their Strictly success.

But I believe Vicky is already more established than any reality star who has appeared on Strictly before her. Right now, she also looks like she could be the first to go all the way and win.

Should she lift the Glitterball trophy – or even just reach the final – I predict Vicky will become one of Strictly’s true success stories, returning to primetime where she belongs.

I hope she knows that, actually, she’s already done a lot to make the North East proud. And from where I’m sitting, it looks like she’s about to make it even prouder.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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