Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me is a new documentary that sees the reality star and social media influencer open up about her father’s alcoholism.
Vicky, who first shot to fame on reality series, Geordie Shore and went on to be crowned queen of the jungle in I’m A Celebrity in 2015, explores the impact her father, John’s, drinking has had on her both as a child and now.
She also examines her own relationship with alcohol and shares her fears that she could end up like her father.
Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me release date
Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 2 August at 10pm and will be available to watch on All 4.
Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me — what happens in the documentary
In the documentary Vicky, who became well known on reality series, Geordie Shore for her hard-partying, explores her own relationship with alcohol.
She and her dad, John, 62, who Vicky has a close relationship with visit Tony Moss, a Professor of Addictive Behaviour Science in London, to analyse the triggers for their respective drinking habits.
Vicky reveals her worries that she could end up like her father and investigates to see if there is any genetic link that could make her predisposed to becoming an alcoholic.
Later in the programme Vicky chats to two women whose alcoholic fathers both died. The three of them share their experiences of growing up with an alcoholic parent and how that has impacted them.
Vicky and John also visit a psychologist where for the first time, Vicky opens up about how angry and upset his drinking has made her feel. Vicky implores John, who has liver cirrhosis, to commit to getting professional help again.
Why did Vicky want to make this documentary?
Vicky says, “People think they've seen every single side of me, but they absolutely haven't. This is the most raw I've ever been. I found a lot of it very painful but I had to do it if I was going to come out the other side and have the answers I wanted."
What was Vicky’s biggest fear about making Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me?
“My biggest fear was that I'd find out something about me or my dad that I didn't like", says Vicky. “Or I find out that, 'Well, maybe you are actually going to be an alcoholic because your dad is, and you can go on all the fitness retreats you want and you can do all the dry Januarys you like but you're going to hurt your kids.' That would've been pretty much the worst."
What does Vicky say about growing up with her alcoholic dad, John?
"My childhood is peppered with moments that I thought were normal, that as an adult, I've discovered weren't", says Vicky. " I remember being about eight or nine and walking back from my aunt and uncle’s, my dad always used to have a good drink there. He was using me to prop himself up. I was like a human crutch. My mam had stormed off with my sister and the buggy. She couldn't be bothered with him anymore."
She continues, "I knew in that moment that I didn't want my life to be like that. If you'd asked me at eight, nine years old, if I was ever going to have a drink, I would've said 'No.There's no way I'm ending up like my dad.'"
What does Vicky say about meeting other women who have grown up with alcoholic fathers?
"Those women were just so strong and had such an incredible understanding of the illness", says Vicky. "I would be the first to admit I'm really ignorant. I've buried my head in the sand with my issues to alcohol and my dad's, just hoping naively that it would get better. But they knew everything, and they spoke from experience and knowledge."
"Meeting them both was a lovely experience but sad too. They obviously don't have the luxury of being able to tell their dads things anymore because they both lost them. It made me realise that I’m in a really fortunate position to still be able to say things to my dad, rather than having to talk to his gravestone."
Vicky's fiancé, Ercan Ramadan, features in the documentary. What does Vicky say about him?
Vicky says, "In all of my other relationships, I searched for people who had very similar qualities to me, thinking that's what made a healthy relationship. I needed them to want to party as hard as me. Obviously looking back, I cringe at that thought process."
"Ercan and I agree on the fundamentals, how we'd want to bring up our children, respecting people, being kind as much as you can, and working hard. I will be eternally grateful to him because he's allowing me to just enjoy a slower pace of life where I'm happier."
Is there a trailer for Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me?
Not yet but we will add it here when it is available.
What does Vicky hope viewers will take away from watching the documentary?
Vicky says, “If anybody is struggling with addiction and feels like they're alone, I need them to know they aren't. I also need people to stop being ashamed of this. It's something I've hidden from people my whole life and actually I’m done hiding. I just want everyone to realise how difficult it is to struggle with an addiction."
"Nobody knew my dad was an alcoholic when I was growing up. I probably didn't even say the words out loud until I was about 28. I think it's a shame that we feel like we have to hide the things that have had such a profound effect on who we are, to be ashamed of our relatives or parents, whatever, their illnesses. You're not mad at someone with cancer, so I don't know why we're ashamed or mad at someone who's struggling with addiction."
Vicky Pattison: My Dad, Alcohol and Me will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 2 August at 10pm and will be available to watch on All 4.
