Celebrities with ADHD: from Aimee Lou Wood to Lewis Hamilton

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition where the brain works differently to the majority of people.

People with ADHD may have trouble with things like concentrating and sitting still, but it also presents differently in differnt people.

More light has been shone on ADHD in recent years, with a rising number of diagnoses among adults.

The symptoms can vary, but typically centre around finding it hard to sit still, hard to focus, or forgetting everyday tasks.

With many celebrities being open about having the condition, here’s a rundown of those who have spoken about their experiences with ADHD.

Adrian Chiles wrote openly about ADHD in his Guardian column, arguing against those calling the disorder a ‘con’ following a Panorama expose.

“My ADHD plainly didn’t manifest itself as described above,” the TV show host wrote. “I have been rather successful in my line of work, so I can hardly say it held me back.

“What I can say is that for an awfully long time I found my life heart-stoppingly, nerve-shreddingly difficult...but my diagnosis showed me it didn’t have to.”

Russian hackers revealed that American gymnast Simone Biles took medication for ADHD, but she publicly asserted that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know,” she wrote on X.

The White Lotus and Sex Education star shared her journey towards a diagnosis with the Sunday Times, saying: “I got diagnosed a few years ago with ADHD with autistic traits, but then it’s been advised that I should go for an autism assessment.

“They think that maybe it’s autism that’s leading the charge, and the ADHD is almost a by-product of the masking.”

Actor Barry Keoghan has discussed having ADHD, highlighting in an interview with the Independent that it impacted hobbies like reading.

“I get freaked out if a book has 300 pages,” he said.

Denise Welch has opened up about getting her late diagnosis on Loose Women, describing how one symptom is when not being able to say what’s on her mind can be frustrating.

“I had a diagnosis after two or three days of quite intense tests with a psychologist, and I have ADHD, and have had since childhood,” Denise confirmed.

Barbie director Greta Gerwig spoke at length about her ADHD diagnosis in an interview with the Observer.

“As an adult, I have ADHD – they diagnosed me,” she said. “But as a kid, my mum was like, ‘Let’s sign her up for every activity. Let’s tire her out.’

“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. I was just interested in, like, everything. I had a really active imagination. I had a lot of really deep feelings. I was emotional.”

Chef Heston Blumenthal has been open about both his diagnosis for ADHD and more recently bipolar disorder.

Speaking to iNews, he said: “I’ve always had a head that is very sensitive to temperature. I can tell the temperature of a room just from my head, within a degree. It’s possibly the worst superhero talent ever, but I think it’s because I have such a busy mind.

“I don’t know how busy anyone else’s is because I’m in a relationship with myself. I’ve had so many health checks, brain scans and tests over the years, until I was eventually diagnosed with very, very, very high ADHD.”

The Game of Thrones actor has often been vocal about how his mental health was impacted over the years, with time spent in rehab.

Harington said that this work on himself and his ADHD diagnosis helped him be ‘more present’ with his family, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"My head wants to go to every other thing in the room at once," he said.

An icon of motorsports and much more besides, Sir Lewis Hamilton quipped about ADHD in an interview with the Gentleman’s Journal.

“I’ve had some really bad experiences in the kitchen,” he said. “It’s been a disaster in the past for me. I’m ADHD, so if I do cook something — say a pasta dish — I’ll make it, but then I’ll have to clean everything I used before I eat it.”

Lily Allen told the world via the Times about her diagnosis for ADHD back in 2023, prompting her to make changes to her lifestyle.

“I’ve actually just been diagnosed with adult ADHD,” she said. “I’ve had to completely switch off social media because as soon as I look at it, it can be hours of my day gone.”

Singer Robbie Williams opened up about ADHD on Instagram in a long caption, as well as how that interacted with his addiction issues.

“I got diagnosed with ADHD a long time ago,” he wrote. “They gave me Adderall…I’m an addict. Adderall is basically speed. This didn't work out well.”