Anthony David McPartlin, 44, began his TV career as a young boy, taking to comedy like a duck to water, Ant rose to prominence playing the character of PJ in the popular series Byker Grove. It was during his time on the show where Ant met Declan Donnelly (Dec), forging a close friendship. The pair’s career went from strength to strength with Ant and Dec cementing their status as legends of the television screens. The road to success, however, was not always paved with gold for Ant. Not only was he convicted of drink-driving but the star also revealed a disorder he suffers with.
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Speaking to The Sun about how his disorder affected his career, Ant revealed: “There’s a lot of characteristics that held me in good stead working in live television.
“Richard [Bacon] said the same. In my job, having what they call ‘popcorn thinking’ is good because it means you can jump from one thing to another.
“Professionally, it’s brilliant, Personally, I’m all over the place.”
It was after Ant’s notorious and highly public drunk-driving incident two years ago that the star was finally able to put a name to what he had suffered from for years.
After the fateful incident, Ant underwent numerous examinations which led to him finally finding out about his undiagnosed mental health condition.
Ant was told he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a complex neurodevelopmental disorder.
“There are a lot of links to alcohol-dependency, which I studied a lot when I was away,” Ant said.
Ant said his diagnosis “made sense” as to the symptoms he had endured for years. Symptoms such as impulsiveness, disorganisation and problems prioritising, poor time management skills, trouble multitasking, poor planning, excessive activity and restlessness, low frustration tolerance and problems focusing on a task.
Revealing to his fans and to the world his diagnosis allowed for the healing to finally begin. Such public recognition was also welcomed by the ADHD Foundation.
Dr Tony Lloyd, CEO of the foundation said: “It’s a tremendous help when such a high-profile figure as Ant McPartlin speaks out.
“One in 20 people have ADHD and it’s not something you grow out of so it’s great when awareness is raised and it challenges stereotypes and stigma.”
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What is ADHD?
Mayo Clinic explained: “Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.
“Adult ADHD can lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem and other problems. Though it’s called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood.
“In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until the person is an adult. Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children.
“In adults, hyperactivity may decrease, but struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness and difficulty paying attention may continue. Treatment for adult ADHD is similar to treatment for childhood ADHD.
“Adult ADHD treatment includes medications, psychological counseling (psychotherapy) and treatment for any mental health conditions that occur along with ADHD.”
Dr Lloyd added: “There are so many very successful people with ADHD. A high percentage of entrepreneurs have it, along with many professionals in sport and in the creative industries.
“They have been hiding in plain sight. We know there are competing demands on health budgets, but there is still a lot of ignorance and stigma.
“Some still think it’s about badly-behaved boys, which is complete nonsense; that myth has been a major factor in why so many with ADHD have not been identified properly.
“All the research evidence tells us that early intervention improves the quality of life hugely.”
For Ant, knowing why he sometimes acts the way he does has been a huge relief for him and being back on TV screens with his buddy Dec brings joy to him and for all watching.
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