Danielle Lagos sits down with the Geordie Shore lass to talk about the house, writing love letters, Gary and peeing the bed.
When I meet Charlotte Crosby, pretty much everyone’s favourite housemate from MTV’s Geordie Shore, she engulfs me in a massive hug, like she was greeting a life-long friend.
“Jamie Orr?”
Nope, that’s not me – a reminder that we aren’t life-long friends.
“This is Danielle,” intervenes her publicist.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you guys say,” explains Charlotte. Don’t worry, Char – I think the feeling will be mutual.
The reason for the 24-year-old reality star/clothing designer/fitness queen’s NZ pit stop is for a meet-and-greet at an Auckland city bar, which she attended last night. “I was planning on not drinking but the atmosphere was so good that I then drank. And do you want to see the outcome of it?”
She whips out her phone and shows me an Instagram photo of herself covered in brightly coloured lipstick kisses. “Like, one, two, three, four, five… 14 times I was kissed. Oh, should I show you a video? I’ll show you a video from when I first got in.”
A few clicks and Charlotte has brought up a video she took of her going into the bar – the crowds, the screams and general hysteria. It is what you would expect at a 1D concert. “Look how crazy it was. Obviously you have to have a drink when everyone’s that excited.”
“Jamie Orr?”
Nope, that’s not me – a reminder that we aren’t life-long friends.
“This is Danielle,” intervenes her publicist.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you guys say,” explains Charlotte. Don’t worry, Char – I think the feeling will be mutual.
The reason for the 24-year-old reality star/clothing designer/fitness queen’s NZ pit stop is for a meet-and-greet at an Auckland city bar, which she attended last night. “I was planning on not drinking but the atmosphere was so good that I then drank. And do you want to see the outcome of it?”
She whips out her phone and shows me an Instagram photo of herself covered in brightly coloured lipstick kisses. “Like, one, two, three, four, five… 14 times I was kissed. Oh, should I show you a video? I’ll show you a video from when I first got in.”
A few clicks and Charlotte has brought up a video she took of her going into the bar – the crowds, the screams and general hysteria. It is what you would expect at a 1D concert. “Look how crazy it was. Obviously you have to have a drink when everyone’s that excited.”
So what time did you get in this morning?
“About 4am.”
And what time did you wake up?
“9am. Five hours, but that’s okay, that’s good for me. I’m averaging about five hours a night at the minute.”
You must be used to that though. That’s the Geordie Shore lifestyle.
“I’m not used to it. I feel so tired all the time.”
Ten seasons of Geordie Shore, that’s pretty impressive. How have you changed?
“The only way I think it’s changed us the fact that I’m more…not that I’m more mature, but more world-wise. Like, all my friends at home – if I wasn’t on the show, I’d still be like them. I wouldn’t know how to get a flight by myself, I’d be nervous when travelling, I’d probably still be scared of ordering me meal at the restaurant. When it used to be my turn to order, I’d just go red and stuff but now I’m so confident – I could just do anything. I’d probably just walk and speak to random people walking down the street and spend the whole day by me self.”
Where is your weirdest fan base?
“Italy. Very strange in Italy. It’s a very weird one.”
Did something strange happen there?
“Well, I’ve never been over yet but I’ve just heard stories from when the other housemates have gone over.”
So are you going to make your way over soon?
“I think I’ve got a [press tour] in Italy at the end of March but I don’t know whether I can do it because of Gary, and I’m back with my boyfriend Mitch at the minute and I don’t think that’s going to go down if I go to Italy with Gar. A bit awkward.”
How does Mitch feel about you being in the house with Gary?
“He did used to care about it more before – we were together then we split up – but now we’re back together he’s just so much more mature. He’s a changed man – he doesn’t speak about it, so I wouldn’t know.
How hard it is having a relationship inside the house?
“It’s hard. I’ve got to admit that: it’s difficult. It’s like two separate lives and trying to balance them both is just so difficult. Like, Mitch doesn’t want to be involved, so that makes it even harder, because they won’t let us see him or talk to him because he doesn’t want to be on camera. So there are long periods of time when I just don’t see him and it’s hard. I miss him a lot.”
How often can he visit?
“He can’t come in if he doesn’t want to be on camera. He’s not allowed to come in – I’m not allowed to speak to him on the phone either because he won’t be recorded.”
So do you write letters to each other?
“[Laughs] No.”
That would be romantic.
“God, I actually might do that.”
Why don’t you? It would be like The Notebook.
“Oh my god! I love this idea! Can I write you a letter to say how it’s going?”
Will you?
“Yes, of course. Give me your address.”
Okay I will. So what’s one thing that would surprise us to know about the show?
“Maybe just the fact that it isn’t always that crazy. Like there’s a lot of times where we just sit down and have a meal and be normal. And there are times on Sunday when we’ll have a night in and watch DVDs and we’ll order a takeaway, sit around in our pajamas and get in the duvets, but none of that can be shown because it’s not crazy.”
So in a typical week in the house, how often do you go out?
“Four or five times.”
Is there a quota you have to go out?
“You have to. Unless you’re really, really, really ill and I mean like the black death. You have got to go out – you get wrung if you don’t.”
Do you have to drink as well?
“Not have to drink, you have to be there on the night out. If you don’t want to drink, that’s fine, but they do get pissed off if you don’t. Like there was one series where I went through it and I literally didn’t drink for the first two weeks because I was watching me weight. And they were like, ‘What are you doing? Why aren’t you drinking?’ And I got pulled up about it.”
Do you hang out with the housemates outside of the house?
“Only the girls. Holly and Sophie and rarely Marnie but Sophie the most, then Holly.”
What about Vicky?
“Ah no. Vicky is always dead busy and having no time. She has her own group of friends. Me and Vicky are friends but it’s more like work colleagues whereas me, Sophie and Holly are literally like sisters. And ‘cus they live around the corner from us, I’m with them all the time. Do you know what I mean?”
Well, that does make a difference. Do you let your family watch Geordie Shore?
“Yeah, my mum’s my biggest fan.”
But do you ever feel like you have to warn her?
“Yeah, I’ll say, ‘Mum, this bit’s going to be bad, do you want to go make a cup of tea?’ and then it will be over.”
Do you think she goes back and tries to watch?
“No, nah, she feels so awkward when a bad thing comes on. Only sex – that’s the only thing she feels awkward about, everything else she just expects because I’m so bad when I’m at home.”
And what about your friends? Do they watch it?
“Yeah, of course, they love it!”
Do you get texts like, “Oh Charlotte, you didn’t…”
“No, they know what I’m like. Everyone knows what I’m like. They just totally expect anything that happens.”
Okay I’ve got to bring up the peeing the bed incident –
“Yeah, that’s fine, I did it the other night.”
Again?
“I do it all the time.”
Just from laughing or…
“No, I do it when I’m laughing too, when I’m tickled. But no, it’s when I get too drunk I don’t know what happens, I just wee myself. It only happens rarely. It happens when I get really, really drunk.”
So that didn’t embarrass you?
“Nah.”
It doesn’t seem like a lot would. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
“I don’t like doing sexy lingerie shoots. I get really embarrassed. That’s a weird thing to be embarrassed about, isn’t it? I get really embarrassed. And one time they were filming me own TV shows in India and they told us to dance and I was really embarrassed. I just get embarrassed by different things. I don’t like trying to be serious or like… [urgh] it makes me skin crawl. I hate it. I hate doing a photo shoot.”
Well, you look amazing, all thanks to your very successful weight loss DVD. How did that come about?
“I started to lose weight after I saw horrible photos of us at the beach and I thought, ‘Right, I need to make a change’. So I started to lose the weight through a lot of exercise and eating healthy. People were like, ‘Oh Charlotte you look amazing, how are you doing it?’ So I’d tell them. I’d tweet back so many tweets a day about it and in the end it was like, why not just do a DVD so everyone can see? That’s when I decided to team up with my two personal trainers and get the routines I would do all down on a DVD and that’s how it came about. [Now] it’s the number-one selling fitness DVD in the UK for 15 years.”
Congratulations, that’s brilliant.
“I can’t believe it sometimes, I still don’t believe it.”
So you’re on Ex on the Beach now, which show is more fun to be a part of?
“Geordie Shore, 100%. Ex on the Beach was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. They were so bitchy. I was actually scared – like, I didn’t get on with any of the girls. It was always awkward situations, drama, fights… I don’t think I laughed once when I was in there.”
So why did you agree to do it?
“I didn’t expect it to be like that! I thought it was going to be a laugh, it was going to be this brand-new experience but really I walked in to hell!”
Did you see the season before?
“I did. I did. So I don’t even know why I even agreed.”
A new experience.
“It’s a new experience. I can say that I did it. It’s one to tick off, isn’t it?”
How long will you stay on Geordie Shore?
“I’d like to say I’d be on it till the end. I love it. It’s an amazing job and I love everyone who’s in it. I’ve made some great friends for life and I’ve had some of the best times in me life. But there are times when it’s hard, just like any job. Everyone’s got their ups and downs, haven’t they? So I would like to think I would be in it in the end but who knows how much harder it’s going to get? I mean, what if I get pregnant? What do I do then?”
That would be a great twist for the show.
“[Laughs] It would be. You’re right.”
They’d probably keep you on.
“Yeah, a bit like Snooki [from Jersey Shore].”
Ex on the Beach airs Wednesdays 8:30pm on MTV.
Season 10 of Geordie Shore starts April 6 on MTV.
“About 4am.”
And what time did you wake up?
“9am. Five hours, but that’s okay, that’s good for me. I’m averaging about five hours a night at the minute.”
You must be used to that though. That’s the Geordie Shore lifestyle.
“I’m not used to it. I feel so tired all the time.”
Ten seasons of Geordie Shore, that’s pretty impressive. How have you changed?
“The only way I think it’s changed us the fact that I’m more…not that I’m more mature, but more world-wise. Like, all my friends at home – if I wasn’t on the show, I’d still be like them. I wouldn’t know how to get a flight by myself, I’d be nervous when travelling, I’d probably still be scared of ordering me meal at the restaurant. When it used to be my turn to order, I’d just go red and stuff but now I’m so confident – I could just do anything. I’d probably just walk and speak to random people walking down the street and spend the whole day by me self.”
Where is your weirdest fan base?
“Italy. Very strange in Italy. It’s a very weird one.”
Did something strange happen there?
“Well, I’ve never been over yet but I’ve just heard stories from when the other housemates have gone over.”
So are you going to make your way over soon?
“I think I’ve got a [press tour] in Italy at the end of March but I don’t know whether I can do it because of Gary, and I’m back with my boyfriend Mitch at the minute and I don’t think that’s going to go down if I go to Italy with Gar. A bit awkward.”
How does Mitch feel about you being in the house with Gary?
“He did used to care about it more before – we were together then we split up – but now we’re back together he’s just so much more mature. He’s a changed man – he doesn’t speak about it, so I wouldn’t know.
How hard it is having a relationship inside the house?
“It’s hard. I’ve got to admit that: it’s difficult. It’s like two separate lives and trying to balance them both is just so difficult. Like, Mitch doesn’t want to be involved, so that makes it even harder, because they won’t let us see him or talk to him because he doesn’t want to be on camera. So there are long periods of time when I just don’t see him and it’s hard. I miss him a lot.”
How often can he visit?
“He can’t come in if he doesn’t want to be on camera. He’s not allowed to come in – I’m not allowed to speak to him on the phone either because he won’t be recorded.”
So do you write letters to each other?
“[Laughs] No.”
That would be romantic.
“God, I actually might do that.”
Why don’t you? It would be like The Notebook.
“Oh my god! I love this idea! Can I write you a letter to say how it’s going?”
Will you?
“Yes, of course. Give me your address.”
Okay I will. So what’s one thing that would surprise us to know about the show?
“Maybe just the fact that it isn’t always that crazy. Like there’s a lot of times where we just sit down and have a meal and be normal. And there are times on Sunday when we’ll have a night in and watch DVDs and we’ll order a takeaway, sit around in our pajamas and get in the duvets, but none of that can be shown because it’s not crazy.”
So in a typical week in the house, how often do you go out?
“Four or five times.”
Is there a quota you have to go out?
“You have to. Unless you’re really, really, really ill and I mean like the black death. You have got to go out – you get wrung if you don’t.”
Do you have to drink as well?
“Not have to drink, you have to be there on the night out. If you don’t want to drink, that’s fine, but they do get pissed off if you don’t. Like there was one series where I went through it and I literally didn’t drink for the first two weeks because I was watching me weight. And they were like, ‘What are you doing? Why aren’t you drinking?’ And I got pulled up about it.”
Do you hang out with the housemates outside of the house?
“Only the girls. Holly and Sophie and rarely Marnie but Sophie the most, then Holly.”
What about Vicky?
“Ah no. Vicky is always dead busy and having no time. She has her own group of friends. Me and Vicky are friends but it’s more like work colleagues whereas me, Sophie and Holly are literally like sisters. And ‘cus they live around the corner from us, I’m with them all the time. Do you know what I mean?”
Well, that does make a difference. Do you let your family watch Geordie Shore?
“Yeah, my mum’s my biggest fan.”
But do you ever feel like you have to warn her?
“Yeah, I’ll say, ‘Mum, this bit’s going to be bad, do you want to go make a cup of tea?’ and then it will be over.”
Do you think she goes back and tries to watch?
“No, nah, she feels so awkward when a bad thing comes on. Only sex – that’s the only thing she feels awkward about, everything else she just expects because I’m so bad when I’m at home.”
And what about your friends? Do they watch it?
“Yeah, of course, they love it!”
Do you get texts like, “Oh Charlotte, you didn’t…”
“No, they know what I’m like. Everyone knows what I’m like. They just totally expect anything that happens.”
Okay I’ve got to bring up the peeing the bed incident –
“Yeah, that’s fine, I did it the other night.”
Again?
“I do it all the time.”
Just from laughing or…
“No, I do it when I’m laughing too, when I’m tickled. But no, it’s when I get too drunk I don’t know what happens, I just wee myself. It only happens rarely. It happens when I get really, really drunk.”
So that didn’t embarrass you?
“Nah.”
It doesn’t seem like a lot would. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
“I don’t like doing sexy lingerie shoots. I get really embarrassed. That’s a weird thing to be embarrassed about, isn’t it? I get really embarrassed. And one time they were filming me own TV shows in India and they told us to dance and I was really embarrassed. I just get embarrassed by different things. I don’t like trying to be serious or like… [urgh] it makes me skin crawl. I hate it. I hate doing a photo shoot.”
Well, you look amazing, all thanks to your very successful weight loss DVD. How did that come about?
“I started to lose weight after I saw horrible photos of us at the beach and I thought, ‘Right, I need to make a change’. So I started to lose the weight through a lot of exercise and eating healthy. People were like, ‘Oh Charlotte you look amazing, how are you doing it?’ So I’d tell them. I’d tweet back so many tweets a day about it and in the end it was like, why not just do a DVD so everyone can see? That’s when I decided to team up with my two personal trainers and get the routines I would do all down on a DVD and that’s how it came about. [Now] it’s the number-one selling fitness DVD in the UK for 15 years.”
Congratulations, that’s brilliant.
“I can’t believe it sometimes, I still don’t believe it.”
So you’re on Ex on the Beach now, which show is more fun to be a part of?
“Geordie Shore, 100%. Ex on the Beach was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. They were so bitchy. I was actually scared – like, I didn’t get on with any of the girls. It was always awkward situations, drama, fights… I don’t think I laughed once when I was in there.”
So why did you agree to do it?
“I didn’t expect it to be like that! I thought it was going to be a laugh, it was going to be this brand-new experience but really I walked in to hell!”
Did you see the season before?
“I did. I did. So I don’t even know why I even agreed.”
A new experience.
“It’s a new experience. I can say that I did it. It’s one to tick off, isn’t it?”
How long will you stay on Geordie Shore?
“I’d like to say I’d be on it till the end. I love it. It’s an amazing job and I love everyone who’s in it. I’ve made some great friends for life and I’ve had some of the best times in me life. But there are times when it’s hard, just like any job. Everyone’s got their ups and downs, haven’t they? So I would like to think I would be in it in the end but who knows how much harder it’s going to get? I mean, what if I get pregnant? What do I do then?”
That would be a great twist for the show.
“[Laughs] It would be. You’re right.”
They’d probably keep you on.
“Yeah, a bit like Snooki [from Jersey Shore].”
Ex on the Beach airs Wednesdays 8:30pm on MTV.
Season 10 of Geordie Shore starts April 6 on MTV.
