Vicky Pattison is trying for a baby with her husband Ercan Ramadan, but there’s a problem. In fact there are two problems… and they’re both big and furry.
That’s because Vicky sleeps in the marital bedroom with her rescued Labradors Max and Milo, while Ercan sleeps in the spare room.
‘It means I get a decent, undisturbed night’s sleep,’ says menswear entrepreneur Ercan. ‘People will probably think it’s outrageous, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,’ says Vicky, the 38-year-old former Geordie Shore star and I’m A Celebrity winner.
‘I lie there contorted around the dogs like a human pretzel with Max spread out at the bottom of the bed and Milo with his head on the pillow. I love it!’
Viewers will see just how much Vicky adores them when she appears in Wagging Rights, a new six-part reality show in which celebrities are taught to train their naughty dogs. It’s five-year-old Milo, found in the back of a van after being smuggled into the UK from Eastern Europe, who’s put to the test, alongside four comedians and their pooches: Sara Pascoe and her seven-year-old springer spaniel-Jack Russell cross Mouse, Kae Kurd and his seven-year-old Rottweiler Riot, Harriet Kemsley and Sunny the Cavapoo, and Rhod Gilbert and his miniature Labradoodle Picsen.
With the advice of dog behaviourist Nigel Reed and former Kennel Club Dog Trainer Of The Year Kay Attwood ringing in their ears, the stars and their pets compete in categories such as agility, obedience and scent work over the first five weeks of the series, with the Top Dog Rosette up for grabs at the end of each show. A grand final in week six determines which owner and their dog have earned Wagging Rights over the others.
But it’s Vicky’s three-year-old black Labrador Max who is actually something of a miracle when you consider what happened to him earlier this year.
‘The night before we were due to start filming Wagging Rights, Max’s stomach swelled and he lost the use of his limbs,’ explains Vicky. ‘He had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a blockage in his stomach – grass had wrapped itself around a doggy treat – and have several blood transfusions. We thought he was going to die and it was the worst two weeks of my life, but Max miraculously pulled through.’
Vicky Pattison with her golden Labrador Milo, who sleeps with his head on the pillow
Rhod Gilbert, Harriet Kemsley, Sara Pascoe, Vicky Pattison and Kae Kurd with their dogs
Five-year-old Milo was found in the back of a van after being smuggled into the UK from Eastern Europe
The bill was an eye-watering £25,000. ‘I heard Ercan saying to him, “You realise you’re the most expensive rescue dog in the world?” But he’s worth it,’ says Vicky. ‘Max and Milo are the beating hearts of our family.’
Pets have pulled some of the other contestants on Wagging Rights through tough times too. Welsh comedian Rhod, 57, was battling stage four cancer of the neck and head when his scriptwriter wife Sian Harries insisted they bring Picsen, three, into their lives.
‘I’d been extremely ill and as I was recovering Sian said, “Shall we get another dog?” and I said absolutely not,’ remembers Rhod. ‘She said, “But I really want a dog” before adding very loudly, “I want some joy in my life!” So that was it – bring on Picsen.’
Rhod says the lovable Labradoodle (she was originally called Pixie, but he and Sian decided to ‘Welsh up’ the name) gave it her all during the competition. ‘When she made me proud you’ll see a look on my face I didn’t know I had in my facial toolbox,’ he laughs. ‘The experience of training her, seeing how hard she worked, has made me more understanding.’
Comedian Harriet Kemsley, one of the stars of the first series of Prime Video hit Last One Laughing, has used five-year-old Sunny to help her recover from the breakdown of her seven-year marriage to Canadian comedian Bobby Mair, with whom she has a four-year-old daughter, Mabel.
She describes the dog as her second husband in the show and, like Vicky and her Labradors, isn’t afraid to share her bed with her furry companion. ‘Sunny and I cuddle up, we spoon,’ she reveals. ‘He means a lot to me. I’m not sure I would have got through the last couple of years without him.’
The love and affection between owners and pets doesn’t extend to the rivals in the competition though. ‘Some people, such as Rhod and Sara, took it very seriously and I’m pretty sure Rhod had a lot more time to train his dog than I did,’ says Vicky. Harriet Kemsley agrees. ‘The show became very competitive,’ she says. ‘We saw the bad side of some of those competing. And the needle between us ramps up as the series goes on.’
Who eventually comes out on top is a closely guarded secret, although Vicky says Milo made strictly limited progress. ‘I’ve spent thousands on dog trainers and more than one has said Milo and Max will never become better trained because I lavish too much love on them,’ she says.
‘He did improve over the series but you can’t expect miracles, not from a cheeky monkey like him. If I didn’t throw the ball for him he’d go and wee on the camera in protest. As you can imagine, this didn’t go down well with the judges.’
Wagging Rights starts on Sunday, 8pm, U&Dave and U&W.
