South Shields' lass Sophie Kasaei on how social media changed Geordie Shore

Sophie is the newest cast member of Geordie OGs.
Photo: MTV — Sophie is the newest cast member of Geordie OGs. Photo: MTV

Reporter Faye Dixon had a chat with Sophie about joining the cast of OGs and how Geordie Shore has changed since her first appearance in series one of the show way back in 2011.

Geordie OGs follows the lives of previous Geordie Shore stars Gaz, Holly, Marnie, Aaron – and now Sophie – as they deal with more grown up issues such as planning weddings and their children. Viewers will see Sophie in the aftermath of her split with ex-boyfriend Jay Bigz as she celebrates her 30th birthday.

She told us how all five of them still have a “stigma” surrounding them but hopes that the show will allow viewers to see her true self. She claimed it’s not only her image that has changed but that she has grown up a lot.

The show follows the lives of original cast members of Geordie Shore.
Photo: MTV — The show follows the lives of original cast members of Geordie Shore. Photo: MTV

She said: “Nobody actually knows me for who I am. They only know me as that young girl from all those years ago.”

The South Shields-born star says the reason Geordie Shore has changed is because the original cast grew up.

She said: “With Geordie Shore nothing is scripted. It’s probably the only show that isn’t. It’s so real. What you see is what happens.

“As we grew up, people who followed the show were the same age as us but now they’ve grown up with us.

Sophie says her looks and personality have changed over time. She said: "I had thin eyebrows and bright blusher but I’ve toned all that down and grew up."

“The Geordie Shore now has a whole new generation of viewers. It’s changed because we’ve changed.

“Back in the day we could get away with so much more on TV. Now, people are so worried about their image because of social media. When we first started, we didn’t care as much.”

Sophie says she doesn’t regret anything from her time on Geordie Shore and claims it shaped her as a person. She also revealed that she is still very close with the original cast – particularly Marnie Simpson from South Shields, Holly Hagan from Thornaby and Charlotte Crosby from Sunderland.

She added: “Marnie is my cousin so I’ve always been close with her but me and Holly are together at least once a week with Charlotte. We see each other all the time because we’ve been friends all these years and my friends are their friends.

“I’d love Charlotte and the others to be a part of it in the future.”

There’s no place like home for Sophie who has recently bought a house in the coastal town and her dad, Keivan Kasaei, still owns Mambo Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in South Shields.

She said: “I’m a Shields girl through and through. I’m always there. All my friends are here. Living in London is not for me.

“All best people are from Shields: Perrie and Jade from Little Mix, Joe McElderry and me.”

Sophie hopes the show will continues to follow her story. The first episode of Geordie OGs series two will air on MTV on Wednesday, February 26 at 9pm.