Vicky Pattison says she fell for 'broken men' after watching her parents' troubled relationship in her childhood.
The former Geordie Shore star's father John battled alcohol addiction in her younger years, receiving treatment in hospital, rehab and from support meetings.
And Vicky, 34, says she previously ended up in toxic relationships after watching her mother Caroll 'fighting to make it work' with John while she hid his 'shortcomings from everyone else, no matter how hard things were for her'.
Trouble in love: Vicky Pattison, 34, says she fell for 'broken men' after watching her parents' troubled relationship in her childhood
In her new book The Secret to Happy, serialised in The Sun, Vicky wrote: 'We accept the love we think we deserve. That is what I truly believe when it comes to romantic relationships. Beyond that, you accept the love you’ve observed at home, as a child.
'I knew as a child that something was wrong, and I watched my mam give every inch of herself to a man who was not getting better.
'I just watched as that relationship constantly took from her and drained her . . . that’s what I thought love was.'
Tough childhood: The former Geordie Shore star's father John battled alcohol addiction in her younger years, receiving treatment in hospital, rehab and from support meetings
She added: 'Subsequently — and this isn’t something I did consciously — my pattern became that I fell for broken men. Almost every time.'
Vicky has been happily involved with former TOWIE cast member Ercan Ramadan since 2019, and the couple recently moved into a lavish £1.5million Essex home.
The one-time I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winner previously attempted to seek out men who she deemed equally as successful as her but she praised Ercan for still finding his way in life while being secure within himself.
Learned behaviour: Vicky who has been with Ercan Ramadan since 2019, says she previously ended up in toxic relationships after watching her parents union
Vicky says she is able to enjoy her relationship with Ercan after undergoing therapy and embracing both her good and bad qualities.
But she hasn't always been so lucky with men in the past - she had a rocky on-screen romance with Ricci Guarnaccio during her time on MTV show Geordie Shore before she went on to date ice hockey player James Morgan, who was later arrested for robbery.
She was also linked to former The Only Way Is Essex star Kirk Norcross and Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear, who she described as 'vile, horrendous' and 'conniving' after she found him to be unfaithful.
In the past: Vicky had a rocky on-screen romance with Ricci Guarnaccio during her time on MTV show
