Non-believer Vicky Pattison is as surprised as anyone that she was asked to take on the fifth season of Pilgrimage, a trek along the Catholic Fatima Way in Portugal.The ex-Geordie Shore star made her name in what she describes as “conflict-driven reality TV” and is the only one of the seven celebrity pilgrims not to have a faith. “I thought I was a bit of a rogue booking for this one,” she admits. “I felt like the odd one out.” But for the 35-year-old who’s spoken openly about how traumatic she finds her reality TV past, it’s awakened a new interest in religion. “I’ve always wanted to think that there was something bigger than me and better than me out there but I didn’t know what it was,” she says. “I still don’t know, but I have a real desire to find out.
It showed me I’d really love to have a faith.” Vicky joined Christians Su Pollard, Shane Lynch and Millie Knight, Jewish Rita Simons, Muslim Nabil Abdulrashid and Catholic Bobby Seagull on the pilgrimage, which was a breath of fresh air in more ways than one as for once, she and her cast mates were encouraged to get on well.
Speaking about her party, sex and argument-fuelled reality past, Vicky says: “I don’t want to make shows like that any more and actually it’s affected how I enjoy TV entirely. “I know everybody loves watching Love Island, but I sit there like a coiled spring because I’ve been there and I don’t just see gorgeous people in bikinis, I see a girl who’s struggling or a situation that’s been manipulated, I can’t relax.
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