Vicky Pattison has accused the makers of Geordie Shore of making her feel 'small' and 'inconsequential' during her time on the hit MTV show. The reality star, who appeared on the show for nine seasons, admitted that she became 'a version of myself that I really hated' as producers used reverse psychology to prevent her from quitting.
Reverse Psychology Tactics
Speaking about her experience, Pattison revealed that every series she wanted to leave, but producers dismissed her feelings. 'Every series, I was like, I can't do this anymore. I have to leave and they were like, oh, yeah, she goes again. And they thought I was being dramatic or hyperbolic, but I was genuinely miserable.'
Towards the end of her stint, the producers changed their approach. 'I think it was like series nine, I think, or series eight. And they were like, you can leave, like go, they tried a slightly different tact. I think it was a bit of reverse psychology. They said, you can go, but there's nothing else for you. There's nothing else for you. Like, we can't give you anything, and I don't think anyone else is going to. Like, the money you get here, you're just not going to make it.'
This message was reinforced by her agent at the time, as well as MTV. 'That was what I was genuinely made to believe. And for a really long time, that worked, you know, keeping me small, making me feel inconsequential, reminding me that I was part of this huge juggernaut, but I wasn't integral. So for a really long time, that worked.'
Mother's Intervention
It was Pattison's mother who ultimately gave her the strength to leave. 'It was my mum,' she revealed. 'Like it was my mum who was like, you are worth more than this. This makes you miserable. And I can't watch it anymore. And my mum was always so vocal about how she lost me. Every time I went in that show, she'd say like six weeks before I'd go in, she'd start to see me fade away. Like it was horrible.'
Criticism of Reality TV
Speaking to White Wine Question Time, Pattison expressed her hope that reality TV can improve at showcasing real people rather than fake narratives. 'I think reality TV has a real way of creating two-dimensional characters that work for their narratives, that work for their storylines. Heaven forbid you be a three-dimensional, multi-faceted woman who can be opinionated and strong and sassy, but also vulnerable as well.'
She added: 'You can't be intelligent and drunk. So if they wanted you as the ditzy girl, or they wanted you as the joke act, or the queen bee, whatever they had in their mind, there was no room for character development. There was no room to show you could be more than just that.'
Pattison noted that any elements outside of what producers wanted were quickly removed in the edit. 'So any chance, certainly in my experience, any elements outside of what they wanted you to be that you've shown, were just quickly got rid of in the edit, because it's palatable for people. It's easy for them to digest if they know exactly what you are. And it doesn't matter to the people editing for the most part if it's not 110% accurate, because it's great entertainment, it's great TV.'
She concluded: 'And as we're all warned, when we sit down to watch these things, some things are constructed for your entertainment, but you just don't assume it's going to be a person's entire personality.'
