When the coronavirus pandemic delayed the highly-anticipated Geordie Shore Reunion, longtime fans and cast members alike feared the special would never go ahead.
Yet earlier this month the original MTV cast, who shot to fame in 2011 in what was the Newcastle-based version of Jersey Shore, finally reunited to reminisce over the wild partying antics and personal heartbreaks which garnered them a legion of fans.
Original cast members Charlotte Crosby, Holly Hagan and Sophie Kasaei all joined the throwback Paramount+ show, which includes a party in the infamous Geordie Shore house.
The likes of mother-to-be Charlotte and newlywed Holly have joined the reunion at radically different points in their lives compared to when they first became Geordie Shore cast members in their twenties, but Holly said once the stars were in a room together again ‘it was like nothing had ever changed’.
The 30-year-old described the reunion experience as a ‘full circle journey’ after she initially left the MTV show under acrimonious circumstances with ex-boyfriend Kyle Christie.
“It was just nice to come back in the era that we all are in now, where we're so confident, we're so settled and we just know who we are as people,” Holly told the Mirror.
“We were so young back then. We were so impressionable and eager to please. Now it's nothing like that. We were really able to enjoy it for what it was, which was a holiday with all of our best friends who we started an amazing journey with.”
Co-star Sophie echoed Holly in describing how the cast quickly clicked again – albeit with the help of a few drinks – despite the fact some had not filmed together for a decade or so.
“We go back to Geordie Shore girls. We will always always have it in us – these wild, crazy, stupid, immature girls,” the 32-year-old laughed. “Whether you're a mum, you're married, or whatever is going on in your life, we still go back to being us.”
Sophie chalked up their easy environment on the reunion set to the number of years they initially spent in the Geordie Shore world, although smiled as she added that the reunion proved to be a ‘tame version’ of what the hard-partying cast once got up to in front of MTV viewers.
“We're not falling out of clubs or anything like that,” Sophie said. “It's just the banter and the sense of humour. We're still them girls and I love it when we're all together.”
However, not all the original cast decided to return to Geordie Shore for the reunion special, with breakout star Vicky Pattison noticeably absent from the line-up.
The recently-engaged reality star decided to end her time on Geordie Shore during the fifth series, after her engagement to Ricci Guarnaccio was called off.
The 34-year-old I’m A Celebrity victor has since explained her decision to bow out of the reunion was down to her previous battle with alcohol addiction, which she has claimed was sparked by filming Geordie Shore’s drunken nights out.
Amid swirling rumours of an ongoing feud between Vicky and former co-star Charlotte, Sophie admitted that ‘not everyone loved the experience’ of filming Geordie Shore and there were rifts among the many cast members.
Sophie said: “I think everyone's decisions are their decisions. People have different opinions on Geordie Shore.
“There were so many cast members and not everyone's going to get on. Out of us girls – me, Holly, Charlotte were day ones and we're the closest.
“Everyone's decision is different. Not everyone wants to go back to Geordie Shore. But for us, it was a complete yes. We had no ifs and buts about it. We're Geordie Shore till we die.”
Geordie Shore: The Reunion is available to watch on Paramount+ UK and MTV.
