In recent years, awareness of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly, and more people are openly discussing their experiences, pursuing diagnoses and seeking support. Several celebrities have talked publicly about their ADHD and what it has meant for their lives. If their stories sound familiar, our guide to signs of undiagnosed ADHD in adults is a helpful next read. Here are five of their stories, and why they matter.
Katie Price
Model and TV personality Katie Price shared her suspicions of having ADHD after consulting her doctor. While awaiting an official diagnosis, she said she believes ADHD may explain certain aspects of her behaviour and thinking. Talking about it openly, before any diagnosis, helps make asking for an assessment feel normal.
Johnny Vegas
UK comedian Johnny Vegas revealed his ADHD diagnosis at the age of 52. Reflecting on it, Vegas expressed relief, telling the BBC that the diagnosis “answers a lot of questions” about his behaviour in the past. Hearing someone well known say that in public makes it easier for others to go and get assessed.
Sue Perkins
TV presenter Sue Perkins shared her ADHD diagnosis, describing how much it helped her understand herself and her relationships.
The former Great British Bake Off presenter revealed her diagnosis while replying to a post by musician Tom Gray, guitarist in the band Gomez.
Gray had told his followers: “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.
“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.”
Perkins replied: “I have fully crept. Once I had the diagnosis, suddenly everything made sense, to me and to those who love me.” She is one of several women featured in our article on famous neurodivergent women.
Nadia Sawalha
TV personality Nadia Sawalha shared her ADHD diagnosis on the talk show Loose Women, opening up about her struggles with attention and organisation.
Sawalha struggled to hold back tears on the show as she shared that she had been diagnosed with ADHD, after years of “chaos” that she had put down to laziness.
She found out about her diagnosis through a clip played on the ITV programme, which showed Sawalha, 58, being told that her traits were consistent with ADHD. Her experience of a later-life diagnosis is a common one, as our article on signs of ADHD in women explores.
Tommy Mallet
Tommy Mallet is a reality star and business owner known for his trainer brand, Mallet London. Tommy has opened up about his ADHD and dyslexia diagnoses, saying that he “…started being really forgetful. That was a struggle. I had no control over what I was saying. It got really bad. There are things that aggravate it, I need to keep stress in check and stick to a routine and diet.” Actor Tom Holland has also spoken about living with both conditions, as we cover in Tom Holland opens up on ADHD and dyslexia.
Every time someone well known talks honestly about ADHD, it gets a little easier for everyone else to do the same, and to ask for an assessment or support. The more varied the voices, the more accurate the public picture of what ADHD looks like. For more inspiring stories, read about famous actors with ADHD.
Why it matters
ADHD is far more visible than it was a few years ago, and celebrities talking about their own diagnoses is part of the reason. More people now feel able to seek an assessment and ask for support. Support at work matters just as much. For one person’s experience, read ADHD at work: how I learned to make it work for me.
How Enna can help
If you have ADHD and are job hunting, the Enna jobs board features roles with employers who value neurodivergent talent. Register for job alerts to hear about new roles first, and explore our resources on thriving at work as a neurodivergent employee.
For employers, it is worth remembering that more of your team may have ADHD than you realise. Our Neurodiversity 101 training helps teams understand ADHD and get the best from everyone, or you can book a call with our team.
