Vicky Pattison says she’s petrified and feeling like a pudding after meeting Strictly Come Dancing’s roster of pros who, she notes, look like they’ve been carved by angels, and she reveals the biggest threat to her place on the show.
The Newcastle-born reality star, who rose to fame on Geordie Shore and has since built a diversified media career, described the first gathering of the Strictly celebrities and professionals as a moment of awe and nerves. She told how she found herself amid dancers she described as tiny, polished and formidable—“the most beautiful creatures”—and admitted she stood there in gym kit feeling out of her depth. Pattison says the impression was intensified by a personal practice she has embraced for years: manifesting what she wants. Two years ago she created a vision board that included wedding dresses, engagement rings, pets and a photo of Gemma Atkinson in sequins with Pattison’s head affixed. She says the image helped guide a range of ambitions, from documentary-making and radio presenting to family plans and other milestones, and she believes elements of that board have begun to materialize.
That same day also framed the start of the Strictly class of 2025. Pattison is paired with pro dancer Kai Widdrington, while the season’s lineup features a mix of athletes, actors, reality stars and public figures, including Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Alex Kingston, Stefan Dennis, Lewis Cope, Balvinder Sopal, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbink, Karen Carney, drag artist La Voix, Chris Robshaw, Ellie Goldstein, Thomas Skinner and Ross King. Pattison noted Dani Dyer’s absence after she fractured her ankle during training, forcing her out of the competition. Despite her own reality-TV roots, Pattison says she harbors mixed feelings about her Geordie Shore days and has spent years building toward broader opportunities, such as a podcast, Get A Grip, and various documentary projects. She adds that some viewers will always know her as a reality star, but she intends to prove capable on the dance floor.
But the season’s launch comes with a broader personal arc. Pattison has previously described a complex relationship with her Geordie Shore years, saying she overthought and sometimes felt controlled, which contributed to coping mechanisms she now recognizes. Since then she has focused on growth and diversification, and she says the show’s live performance will be a new test she faces with a pragmatic mindset rather than a romantic chase. She jokes about her husband’s ability to handle attention, noting, “Have you seen my husband?” She is married to entrepreneur Ercan Ramadan, a relationship she credits with stability amid the public spotlight.
Two years ago Pattison was diagnosed with PMDD, a condition that can cause severe mood and physical symptoms in women of childbearing age. Her decision to go public with the diagnosis has positioned her as an advocate for addressing what she calls medical misogyny. She recently wrote to Health Secretary Wes Streeting and said she has been invited to a meeting next month to discuss the issue. Pattison described periods of anxiety, sleep disruption and despair, but she stressed that she remains hopeful about finding joy again in her Strictly journey. “At its worst you totally lose yourself,” she said, adding that she is currently navigating symptoms but remains determined to keep pushing forward. “I’m going through it now,” she said, before adding that joy ultimately won out in the end and she hopes for a similar comeback on Strictly.
Her preparations extend to practical routines and counsel from friends. Angela Scanlon, a fellow Strictly contestant in 2023 and Pattison’s podcast collaborator, advised her to prepare physically by focusing on foot care and other rehearsal habits. Pete Wicks, who competed in Strictly in 2024 and will be in the audience, offered encouragement as Pattison readies for the first live performance. Pattison said that despite the nerves, the dance floor represents a fresh challenge, and she is approaching it with a mix of nerves and determination.
Off the dance floor, Pattison has pursued personal milestones. She froze her eggs with Ramadan early in their relationship, a decision they made together, and they married in 2023. She acknowledged that motherhood remains a possibility in time but said it is not on the agenda during her Strictly stint. She emphasized that joy and balance remain priorities as she navigates the year ahead, including a busy rehearsal schedule, media commitments and her ongoing advocacy work.
In this context, the Strictly Come Dancing premiere looms as a turning point for Pattison. The show returns tonight at 6:40 p.m. on BBC1 and iPlayer, introducing a lineup that includes Pattison, Aikines-Aryeetey, Kingston, Dennis, King, Goldstein, Robshaw, Carney, and other notable faces. Pattison said she intends to use the platform to demonstrate growth beyond her reality-TV origins, while managing the realities of intense training, live performances and personal health challenges as she embarks on the 2025 edition.