Vicky Pattison has opened up about the “hurtful” comments she received online after sharing her egg-freezing journey.
The former Geordie Shore star, 36, features in a new BBC documentary Egg Freezing And Me which explores the rise of the fertility treatment in the UK.
After documenting her experience of the process on Instagram with her 5.5 million followers, she had to take a break from social media due to the negative comments attacking her decision.
'My fear is that my brain will be ready at a time when my body is no longer capable.'@VickyPattison talks to @adilray & @kategarraway about her decision and journey to freeze her eggs.
She recalls the negative reaction she received when she shared her journey on social media. pic.twitter.com/I8xsv1pLR8
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 22, 2024
Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Friday, Pattison explained that she wanted to freeze her eggs and create some embryos as she has a “fear” that her body will no longer be capable of having children when she is mentally ready.
She said: “I will be 37 this year and the harsh reality of a woman being over 35 is that your eggs are described as geriatric, which tastes really painful coming out of mouth but it’s the medical term.
“My partner on the other hand he’s just turned 30 and we’ve not been together that long in my opinion, our relationship is still in its infancy.
“And while we are still learning about each other, we’re still building this life together, the last thing I want to do is add the unnecessary pressure that bringing a family will bring.”
The TV star is set to get married later this year to her fiance Ercan Ramadan.
She added that she thought she was doing something “really responsible” and wanted to show other women that you can “take control of your narrative and your timeline”.
Asked about the online backlash she received, Pattison recalled: “I got told that it was obvious that God didn’t want us to have a baby…
“That I needed to stop messing with nature. I think probably one of the more hurtful ones was that if I hadn’t found a man who wanted to have a baby with us yet, I should just give it up.”
She added that she has to assume the comments came from people who were “misinformed” or “a little bit miserable”, but stood by her decision to open up about the topic.
“I’ve taken the opportunity as many times as I can to use me platform to talk about it and help women understand we have got alternatives to rushing our timelines and we can actually be everything you want to be”, she said.
“We can travel, we can see the world, we can be the boss and then have kids in later life too but not everyone’s going to agree with everybody all the time.”
Pattison has previously been vocal about women’s reproductive health and last year she appeared before the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee to discuss the topic.
She told the committee about how her premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) was initially dismissed by medical professionals as PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and that she only received a diagnosis after turning to private healthcare.
Symptoms of PMDD are similar to PMS (premenstrual syndrome) but are “much more intense” and can have a “much greater negative impact on your daily activities and quality of life”, according to the NHS website.