I’m a Celebrity winner Vicky Pattison has revealed she was “turned away” from an airport due not following a UK passport rule, meaning she “missed out” on seeing her wedding venue.
The former Geordie Shore star took to social media to reveal she was “beyond gutted” to be sent home, as the rest of her wedding party including her event planner and florist continued to fly without her.
Vicky, who is set to marry her partner Ercan Ramadan in September, posted on Instagram to reveal easyJet wouldn’t let her board a plane to Italy as a dog had chewed her passport.
'Company policy is company policy' admits Vicky Pattison
Posting on her stories to her 5.5 million followers, she explained: “Thought we were off to see our wedding venue today, we were so excited.. I rushed back from Newcastle, packed at midnight last night and jumped into bed and got 3 hours sleep... But I didn't mind because we were going for our menu tasting @ercan_ram.
"Only to have the @easyiet staff turn me away.. I've been travelling with my passport all year and no one's said anything, but it's definitely well travelled to be fair Company policy is company policy and I get it, I'm just beyond gutted you know??"
The 36-year-old continued: "My wedding planner, her assistant, my florist, everyone are all heading out... ... X And I'm just heading home... to have a really good cry I think. All the wasted money, how hard it was for me to get the time off, how excited we were, how I've wasted everyone's time.. I'm just really sad I think."
If you are applying for a British passport from the UK or overseas, visit https://t.co/IRO4ycChVK for our full list of fees pic.twitter.com/GOBPIJXMYn
— His Majesty’s Passport Office (@HM_Passport) April 11, 2024
Along with a picture of the passport damage down one side, Vicky added: “This is what was wrong with my passport for everyone asking, in fairness, I don't know if that is really bad or not, I've just not had anyone ever tell me it was before.. cheeky little milo butt. Think rather than waste my glam, I'm going to take some new passport pictures, then cry..."
A spokesperson for easyJet told MailOnline: "We are sorry for Ms Pattison’s experience and the inconvenience caused. At easyJet, we work closely with the authorities and comply with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and staff.
"As such, we cannot allow any passenger to travel on their planned flight with documentation damaged to such a degree that its authenticity is brought into question."
They added: "It is the passenger’s responsibility to have suitable documentation for travel."
On her Instagram stories, Vicky included a screenshot of an online form that showed a question box asking “Is your passport damaged?”
She wrote: “My dog chewed the side a bit.”
Recommended reading:
- UK passport prices set to rise this week – how much will new fees cost?
- Can you still use a burgundy passport for travelling in 2024? Rules to follow
- Important passport rules warning issued to travellers as prices increase
How do I know if my passport is too damaged?
If you want to avoid having your holiday dreams shattered like Vicky because your passport is too damaged, the Post Office has outlined what HM Passport Office classes as a “damaged passport”.
This includes:
- Details are indecipherable
- The laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
- There’s discolouration of the bio-data page
- There’s chemical or ink spillage on any page
- There are missing or detached pages
- The chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
- The chip has been identified as damaged after investigation
Find out more information about applying for a new passport on the Post Office or HM Passport Office websites.
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