It’s all the rage for celebrities to confront their demons in documentaries these days.
But it still struck me as particularly brave for former Queen of the Jungle Vicky Pattison to talk so openly about her issues with booze in Tuesday night’s Channel 4 docu, Alcohol, Dad and Me.
After finding fame getting bladdered on Geordie Shore, which celebrated the drama that came after one too many, it felt like a real U-turn for Vicky to admit she has an uncomfortable relationship with drinking.
She revealed that her dad had always been a big boozer, and remembers being appalled by his drunken antics when she a child. She swore she would never be like him, but now worries she could become her father’s daughter.
Later in life, Vicky’s dad John became gripped by alcoholism, starting each day with a bottle of vodka and wrecking his marriage in the process.
While he appears to have his drinking under control again, Vicky reveals she’s never really sure if he’s lying to her, and can’t face up to the fact that he might not be sober.
Indeed, during filming he has a relapse and Vicky is terrified, if not shocked.
She’s obviously worried sick about her dad and lets the camera in on painful conversations between them.
But much of this programme is really about her fears for her own future.
“I don’t think I’m an alcoholic… but I have a problem with alcohol,” she admits, revealing that she wants to understand more about her own drinking habits before she can consider starting a family.
Aware that she often doesn’t know when to stop on a night out, she wonders what will prevent her from following in her father’s footsteps and moving from heavy binge drinking to full-on addiction.
She admits she doesn’t like herself when she’s drunk, but can’t always stop herself getting that far.
While she’s ashamed of her drinking, she feels under constant pressure to be the life and soul of the party.
As she wrestles with the decision of whether to become teetotal, an emotional Vicky seeks support from others and realises the future isn’t written in stone.
Vicky is unflinchingly honest in this programme, but while she shares intimate details of her dad’s story, it’s about more than just one family.
This will provide food for thought for many viewers – her worries will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered if they are becoming a little too dependent on the booze.
And it’s difficult not to reflect on the way we glorify alcohol as a social lubricant.
