I re-watched the first series of Geordie Shore in 2024 - here is what I thought

It’s been 13 years since Geordie Shore and its original cast members arrived on our screens for the first time, to show us how young people party in Newcastle. 

The reality television show aired on MTV in the summer of 2011, and we were introduced Vicky Pattison, Charlotte Crosby, Gaz Beadle, James Tindale, Jay Gardner, Holly Hagan and Greg Lake. 

The group of young people from different areas of the North East lived the ‘Geordie lifestyle’ for six weeks, which included plenty of partying on camera, all while staying together in a big house in Jesmond.

When the show originally aired I had just turned 16-years-old, and thought it was the most outrageous piece of television I’d ever seen - yet I absolutely loved it. Being from the North East myself, I loved checking out the coolest clubs Newcastle had to offer, via Geordie Shore since I was still too young to visit them myself. 

While I didn’t exactly aspire to be like the cast members when I became of age, the Geordie Shore culture certainly made an impact on myself and my peers as we ventured into our late teens and early twenties.

But watching back as a 28-year-old woman is a very different experience. 

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The first series of Geordie Shore was always my favourite, as I loved the original cast and the simplicity of it, given that it was filmed prior to the show becoming an overnight success, taking the cast members into the dizzying heights of fame. 

Due to the nostalgia of it, I did enjoy watching parts of it back, and there’s no denying that at the time it was great television, but it was also a little difficult to watch. 

I found certain scenes made for uncomfortable viewing, including the treatment of Holly Hagan who was only 18-years-old at the time, the (somehow funny at the time?) the way the male cast members would speak about women, and most of all - the cast members being filmed while in vulnerable situations, i.e being extremely drunk.  

It made for outrageous viewing even in 2024, so it’s absolutely crazy to think of how much wilder the series became in the following years. 

It’s no doubt that Geordie Shore was certainly of its time, and the cast members of the show themselves have spoken on how they behaved, what was expected of them and how it impacted their lives. 

While some cast members came back together again for Geordie Shore: The Reunion Series, the likes of Vicky Pattison who was a main cast member for nine series has expressed that she would never return to the show and has put that life behind her. 

Geordie Shore: The Reunion Series shows the cast members in a different light regardless as they are all adults now, some who are married with children. While there is still partying and a few arguments, it is nothing like it used to be - which is a good thing in my opinion. 

Overall, watching the first series of Geordie Shore back in 2024 made for an interesting experience. While it was clear to see why the show was so popular, there’s no doubt that times have certainly changed.

Every series of Geordie Shore is available to watch on Paramount+ with a subscription.