What has Sue Perkin’s said about her ADHD diagnosis?
SUE Perkins has opened up about her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis — a common condition affecting people's behaviour.
Here we take a look at what the former Great British Bake Off host has said about the discovery.
What has Sue Perkins said about her ADHD diagnosis?
Beloved television presenter Sue Perkins revealed she suffers from ADHD — and that "everything made sense" after she found out she has the condition.
In January 2023 she made the revelation in a post to Tom Gray, who said he was “creeping” towards an ADHD diagnosis himself.
The Gomez guitarist posted on Twitter: "I’m creeping towards an ADHD diagnosis.
"Strongly advised to do it to help me but more likely help people who have relationships with me.
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"Never realised before how object permanence is such a problem for me.
"Staying in touch rarely if ever occurs to me. I can only apologise. x."
In response Sue tweeted: “I have fully crept. Once I had the diagnosis, everything made sense — to me and those who love me.
"Wishing you well on the journey, Tom x”
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I didn't do it so that I'd get a free pass from anyone else and I don't think it was a huge surprise to anyone who knew me, even in passing!
Sue Perkins
And back in June 2023, Sue told Evoke: “People that know me have been dealing with slightly erratic thought processes since the year dot.
“For me it's just very important to be truthful and I don't tell everybody everything... but I think if something in my life has happened which could help somebody else reflect on their own experience then I'm happy to talk about it.
“I’m certainly not an ambassador for anything and I don't roll out my experience to represent anyone else's, I think that's important to say, but it made a lot of choices, a lot of things, a lot of frustrations, a lot of logjams in my brain, a lot on inadequacies and forgetfulness [make sense].
“I got diagnosed so that I would understand myself better, I didn't do it so that I'd get a free pass from anyone else and I don't think it was a huge surprise to anyone who knew me, even in passing!'
“I’m not medicated but, for me, I just did it because I wanted to understand myself better and in understanding myself hopefully be better, a better friend, a better partner, a better you know whatever it might be.
“You know I'll try to find some workarounds for this now so that I'm less irritating to other people but I don't use it as a justification, I don't go into work saying ‘I need special treatment for this,’ but I actually think it opens up a debate about how we process the world.”
What is ADHD?
According to the NHS, up to five per cent of school-aged children and four per cent of adults could be suffering from ADHD.
Most often diagnosed in childhood, the disorder can cause symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common childhood conditions, according to The ADHD Foundation.
While symptoms are typically noticed during childhood, they may continue throughout adult life.
The charity explains that ADHD can be diagnosed in three different categories.
There is the predominantly inattentive type, the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, and the combined inattention and hyperactive impulsive type.
In adults hyperactivity is less common and symptoms are generally more subtle, making them tougher to identify.
The symptoms of the condition include:
- Inattentiveness
- Having a short attention span and being easily distracted
- Making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork
- Appearing forgetful or losing things
- Being unable to stick at tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
- Appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions
- Constantly changing activity or task
- Having difficulty organising tasks
- Hyperactivity and impulsiveness
- Being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings
- Constantly fidgeting
- Being unable to concentrate on tasks
- Excessive physical movement
- Excessive talking
- Acting without thinking
- Interrupting conversations
- Little or no sense of danger
- Mood swings, irritability and a quick temper
While the exact cause of the disorder is yet to be fully identified, there have been a number of different medical theories.
It tends to run in families, according to the NHS, and “both parents and siblings of a child with ADHD are four to five times more likely to have ADHD themselves.”
Research also suggests symptoms can be brought on because of a person’s brain function and structure.
Those with an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain may be more at risk.
Scientists have also explored the idea that babies born to obese mums are more likely to have the disorder.
And kids who have mums with allergies could also have an increased risk.
Doctors often recommend both medication and therapy for people affected by symptoms of ADHD.
Behaviour therapy, psycho-education, cognitive behavioural therapy and social skills training may help to alleviate symptoms.
Medical professionals can prescribe medications licensed for the treatment of ADHD, including methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine or guanfacine.
Treatment with medication may reduce symptoms and make the condition more manageable in sufferers’ everyday lives, but doesn’t result in a permanent cure.
Which other celebrities have ADHD?
Towards the end of 2022, comedian and actor Johnny Vegas revealed he had been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 52.
He told BBC Breakfast that his diagnosis “answers a lot of questions about behavioural issues” he has had.
The comedian added: "It's that sense of disorganisation and doing basic tasks… everybody has an element of it, it's how strong your filter is, I think.
"When you don't have a filter at all… very simple things become very time consuming."
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha also revealed her "life changing condition" while on TV.
Through the process of making a film about the disorder for the daytime show, Nadia discovered she had been living with the condition since childhood.
And during an episode of the hit ITV show the presenter, 58, told the panel she had been diagnosed ADHD.
When he was just six-years-old, Team GB Olympian Louis Smith was diagnosed with the disorder .
Although the gymnast was prescribed medication to help alleviate symptoms, he claims it was sport that really changed his life.
He explained: "My mum took me to a variety of sports but from a young age it was gymnastics that captured my attention and which I really wanted to progress in.”
Canadian pop megastar Justin Bieber has also opened up about his behavioural problems.
The 22-year-old spoke about his medical condition during a Glasgow show in October 2016 — following his on-stage strop in Manchester.
He told his fans at the SSE Hydro: “I think I have ADD, ADHD or something like that when my mind doesn’t work properly.”
In 2019 Spice Girl Mel B said she had ADHD, adding that exercise helps to reduce the symptoms she suffers from.
After undergoing tests for a Channel 4 documentary in 2023, Made in Chelsea and I'm A Celeb... reality TV star Sam Thompson was diagnosed with two neurological conditions when he was 30 years old — ADHD and autism.
Chronicling his journey in the programme Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD?, the brave presenter and podcaster said: “I’ve always known there was something slightly different about me, but it’s only since I’ve started to ‘adult’ a bit more that I’ve wanted to figure it out, because a lot of symptoms were getting worse."
Appearing on an episode of Jamie Laing's podcast, Private Parts, Katie Price candidly discussed her ADHD diagnosis in December 2023.
"Did they put you on medication or not?" Jamie asked.
Katie replied: "They have put me on something, but you can get Ritalin and all this stuff but I don't want to rely on medication.
"They've put me on something mild and it makes me really sleepy so I haven't taken it."
The former glamour model explained how she plans to see her consultant because of the effects of the medication.
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"It makes me really sleepy and I don't want that because I feel like it suppresses my personality," she added.
Katie revealed she had been diagnosed with ADHD in July 2023.