When Geordie Shore, the UK's answer to Jersey Shore, kicked off on MTV last May, it was so controversial that a Newcastle MP vowed to moan about it in Parliament.
But, as Metro critic Christopher Hooton quite rightly said, "being shocked by the lasciviousness of Geordie Shore is like being shocked by the lack of nutrition in a Pot Noodle".
It's lewd, it's loud and it's proud - and, as of next Tuesday (January 31), it's back. Ahead of the season two launch, Entertainmentwise sat down for a chat with its brilliantly chatty stars Vicky Pattison, Sophie Kasaei, Holly Hagan, and - after a brief scare involving nipples and "loo-loo"s - Charlotte Letitia Crosby.
Q: What can we expect from the second series?
Vicky: This is a really different series.
Sophie: SO different.
Vicky: Last time it was explosive, it was fast-paced, it was outrageous, it was crazy and everything. It's still kept all of those qualities, but it's also got a funnier side, a more heart warming side.
Sophie: And a family side.
Vicky: There's been a little less focus on going out and getting drunk... f***ing and fighting! And a little more on the more subdued side of Newcastle. The fact that we go out in the day, and we are nice as a family. We are funny and witty!
Sophie: There's more characters that come out. Individuals and groups as well.
Vicky: The first series was like Geordie Shore en masse, you poor journalists probably didn't know who we were. But now you are seeing different sides to our personalities, you're not just seeing us as a big group, which is really nice.
Q: How much do you see each-other between series'?
Sophie: We never leave each-others' sides!
Holly: We are always in London together and we do P.A.s together.
Vicky: I think it's hard because the last thing audiences saw was us waving goodbye, and now they'll just expect it to pick up from there. But the reality is we see each-other all the time, we have little arguments and fall-outs and nights-out off-screen! For us, the relationships are ongoing. We're always constantly in contact.
Q: How easy is it to get used to having cameras following you around?
Holly: You get used to it so quick.
Vicky: (To Sophie) Me and you didn't!
Sophie: I was the first one in the house and I was so so nervous. Going back to this Geordie Shore life, my heart was pounding.
Holly: I was shaking!
Sophie: You can never ever forget. It's weird.
Vicky: Anyone who says "You forget the cameras are there!" is chatting absolute s***e! If you're getting really really drunk you might forget for a split second, but if you're lying in bed you'll just hear (makes camera turning noise).
Sophie: When someone says something interesting you can just hear it!
Vicky: Like if I say "OK Sophie go to sleep", nothing. Then the second you say something interesting (makes camera noise again).
Q: What's it like going out in public with cameras? Do you have people trying to jump in on the shot?
All: Yeaaaaah!
Sophie: It's harder now cos people know us. We're out in Newcastle, our home town, and these cameras have big lights on.
Holly: The light just shines, it's a massive light!
Vicky: It's this huge great contraption with hundreds of security and a sound man with a huge boom...
Q: So it's not discreet?
Vicky: Nope! It's predominantly positive though. You do get a couple of d***heads who are like "F*** Geordie Shore!"
Holly: But they're jealous cos they wanna be on the show!
Vicky: The majority's really positive.
Q: And how does being on the show affect everyday life? When you go out without cameras do you still get recognised alot?
Sophie: Everyone gets recognised. But I still live me normal life. Saturday night, in with me mam, watch X Factor, do me normal girlie stuff... It is weird when you're having a meal, out with your family, and people come over asking for photos. And I'm sitting with me nanna and me mum and me dad...
Vicky: The hardest thing and the stupidest thing we do is just forget. We just see each-other for shopping or for a Nando's...
Sophie: We still get the bus or the train!
Vicky: We'll just forget, meet up, and it's like "Oh... hang on a second!" It's like "Oh, God..."
Holly: It's cos we don't see ourselves as any different.
(Charlotte arrives, we are introduced)
Vicky: (To Charlotte) I can see your loo-loo.
Q: I couldn't, don't worry...
Charlotte: I'll take my jacket off and put it over.
(Charlotte covers legs with jacket)
Vicky: Now I can see your nipples.
Charlotte: I feel naked!
Q: My eyes are on the notepad...
Charlotte: Don't worry about me nipples.
Q: OK. How have your family and friends been about you all being on the show?
Sophie: My mum and dad love it!
Vicky: I think all our family and friends have been incredibly supportive. If they hadn't been, I don't think we could have coped. Sometimes it's been hard and we've had a lot of backlash. Sophie's mum and dad are friends with my mum and dad, Charlotte's mum and dad... Holly's mum's getting involved as well.
Sophie: Our parents are in the show this time. They're in the episodes as well. We'll get to meet them.
Q: A lot of celebrities now talk about the age of Twitter and YouTube, where people don't care about offending anyone and they'll just say whatever they like. What's your experience been of that kind of thing?
Sophie: It's easy to egg on on Twitter.
Vicky: It's easy to be anonymous. People get balls when they can be anonymous. It's like, would you say that to my face?
Holly: I don't think any of us get grief to our faces. All of it's on Twitter.
Vicky: In the street, they're like 'Oh, I loved it when you did this, is Charlotte here as well, where's Sophie, where's Holly...' It's all so nice and so sweet. But then all it takes is one callous and heartless person to say something on Twitter. Sometimes it's quite personal and hurtful and it's like "ah, bore off!" But it is hurtful, and it is because of Twitter. Sometimes I think we're better off without them. I hate it! But it's good for nice fans.
Q: How is it watching the episodes back? Is it fun or is it horrible?
Holly: The first one we normally watch as a group, we all get together and watch it. And then you cringe and we normally have to watch it twice! And it's hard. You go out on a night out and you get drunk you think 'Oh God, I can't remember anything... thank God I don't remember anything cos I don't wanna know what it was like'. But we have to watch ourselves in that situation, doing things that... We're lucky in a way because we get to see how we act, and if we want to change it, we could. But that's just us and we're not gonna change. But it's so hard to watch it back - when people are saying things to you behind your back and you have arguments...
Vicky: It's just a major cringe. Would you like a camera to follow you on your night out?
Q: Nope!
Vicky: Exactly!
Q: Finally, looking beyond the show, what would you like to do when it comes to an end?
Vicky: I wanna go into TV presenting... I think we're all quite opinionated, so we could all be the younger version of Loose Women!
(Inaudible excited babble from the others)
Charlotte: Yes! Oh my God! Let's put that idea forward!
Sophie: Geordie Women!
Vicky: Geordie Girls, cos we're not that old.
Geordie Shore returns next Tuesday, January 31, on MTV.
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