Celebrities with ADHD: From Barry Keoghan to Aimee Lou Wood and Will.I.Am

In July, Jessie J shared a candid Instagram post of her performing as a teenager, accompanied by a caption telling her fans that she was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD "about three months ago."

She continued: "It's weird when you know you have been a little different and felt things differently your whole life, and finally one day when you least expect it, someone really explains why and you can't avoid it."

The 36-year-old went on to say that ADHD "has such a wide spectrum," and it's "like a mystery putting your version of it together." She added that she's "understanding ways to cope, excel and grow with it," and that she views her ADHD as a "superpower."

"As long as you look at it from the right perspective and have the right support and people around you that can navigate it with you," she concluded.

As an adult, James Middleton, the younger brother of the Princess of Wales, discovered that he had ADHD. Years before, at the age of 11, he was formally diagnosed as dyslexic.

In terms of his ADHD, James revealed to The Independent earlier this year that it impacted his ability to focus - something which has continued into adulthood.

He explained: "I feel like school and society's expectation of you is like a round hole - and if you're a round peg, it'll be a pleasant experience. If you're a different shape, all that they do is try to shave off the edges to make you fit."

The 37-year-old added that he hopes by the time his young son, Inigo, goes to secondary school, "the national curriculum is completely ripped up and changed because it is such an archaic, not-fit-for-purpose structure."

Winner of Love Island season 5, Amber has spoken about her experience of living with ADHD last year and described being diagnosed as a moment that prompted mixed feelings – of relief and sadness.

"I wasn't having a good time at school. Now looking back, I think 'Oh my god, that was what was happening' and it makes us feel a bit sad because it just went so under the radar and nobody noticed," she said during a Good Morning Britain appearance. "I think I always functioned just a little bit differently to everyone else. Luckily in the past few years, it has been talked about a lot more and I just kept thinking to myself, 'Maybe you've got ADHD and that's the reason that you're struggling to get work done'."

As for how her life changed after being diagnosed with ADHD, Amber went on to say that while she was initially reluctant to take medication, for her personally it has been helpful.

"From diagnosis, everything just got a lot better because I was a lot gentler with myself. I knew to say 'Okay, you've got ADHD so maybe you can't do that today' and I was able to manage it a bit better which was then just enhanced when I was on medication as well."

Heartbreak High's Chloé Hayden is a huge advocate for autism and ADHD. The 27-year-old told Stylist that "being autistic" is her superpower, and doesn't know what life would be like without autism and ADHD.

She told the outlet: "To this day, there are times when I'll discover something I do, feel or experience isn't common: 'What do you mean this isn't normal?' Neurodiversity means I am incredibly creative, and I don't have this invisible, socially constructed box that most of the population has decided on. My ideas, my art, the way I showcase my work, all that is limited only to my imagination, not what society dictates."

Back in 2017, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps opened up about his struggles with ADHD as a kid. While speaking in a video for the Child Mind Institute's Speak Up for Kids campaign, he recalled a teacher once predicted that he would never succeed.

He said: "I [saw] kids who, we were all in the same class, and the teachers treated them differently than they would treat me. I had a teacher tell me that I would never amount to anything and I would never be successful."

Michael continued: "I think the biggest thing for me, once I found that it was okay to talk to someone and seek help, I think that's something that has changed my life forever. Now I'm able to live life to its fullest."

Sam Fender has credited his ADHD for helping his creativity and drive as a musician. The 30-year-old, who admitted that he "screwed up" his A-Levels because of his love of music, told the BBC: "I've got ADHD, as you might be able to tell, and when you get hyper-focused in ADHD, it's like a superpower."

will.i.am was incredibly open back in 2018 about his experience with ADHD.

Speaking to MailOnline, where he stressed he doesn't see his ADHD as a flaw, but as a gift, the musician said: "I’ve suffered from ADHD for years. But I’ve learned how to control it. I can talk, look at that person, think about what I have to do now and what am I going to eat later."

The Girls5Eva star told Healthline that she started experiencing ADHD symptoms from a very young age, but was never diagnosed until her daughter started to display signs too.

She said of finally being diagnosed: "I had been overwhelmed for so many years for what I thought was some sort of deficiency in me not being able to focus or keep different tasks straight, mixing up times and dates, and double booking things. Especially as a working mother, it can be very challenging regardless of whether or not you have ADHD. But I frequently felt so badly about myself and it affected my self-esteem as the years went on."

But, when Busy started treatment that worked for her, she said: "The world shifted in the way I perceived it and what I felt capable to take on." Sharing that she takes a non-stimulant medication to help "manage" her symptoms, the 45-year-old added how it helped the "fog lift."

Channing Tatum was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia when he was at school. In 2020, People magazine shared some comments the actor had previously made to T, The New York Times Style magazine.

While admitting he "never considered" himself to be "a very smart person," he recalled that his school years were a bit of a struggle. Tatum, who also said the "system is broken," stressed: "If we can streamline a multibillion-dollar company, we should be able to help kids who struggle the way I did."

Irish actor Barry Keoghan talked about his experience with ADHD with Esquire magazine in 2023. The 31-year-old revealed that he'd always suspected he had ADHD, even from a young age, but it wasn't until his late twenties that he was officially diagnosed.

He recalled: "It's something that should be recognised and talked about in adults." Barry then added about his medication: "The difference is day and night. My mind used to be like a traffic jam, crazy, and then with the medication, it's like: One car goes, then another car goes."

During his stint on I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out of Here last year, the reality TV star and radio host spoke candidly about being diagnosed with ADHD aged 30.

"It's weird nobody really spotted it beforehand at school because if you look at all my report cards, every single one is the same. It says, 'Likeable enough guy but lacks focus.' It's like staring you in the face," Sam revealed.

He added: "If I'd known as a kid, not much would have changed, but how you feel about yourself probably changes. I remember crying into my textbooks because I was like I can't understand the words that are going into my head."

The Olympic gold medallist credits her neurodiversity to her success in boxing, after she was diagnosed with ADHD aged 15.

"I think it’s helped my training. I never get tired. I’ve always got energy. It helps with my shots. I’m always trying new things," she told The Guardian in 2017.

"I’m on Adderall, so I’m more focused. I stopped for a bit, but went on it again. When you have ADHD you can start a million things, but it’s very hard to focus and just finish one thing. The Adderall helps."

In a candid post on his Instagram page, the Angels singer explained his struggles after being diagnosed with ADHD.

"I got diagnosed with ADHD a long time ago. They gave me Adderall," he wrote, adding the drug led to some difficulties.

Williams then detailed some of his symptoms: "Restlessness - my toes dance all day. They are never still, I wiggle them, wave them or try to make them stretch like a hand would. Another one is impulsive.

"So, if you ever see me on TV or on stage and my behaviour is making you raise a quizzical eyebrow, just know My AD is full on, being high def."

Back in 2023, Nelly Furtado revealed she had received an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood as she announced her comeback to music.

"I believe I’ve had it my whole life, but playing instruments six days a week as a kid kept me in check," the Maneater singer said during a cover-shoot interview with Fault magazine.

"I think it was probably a blessing that they didn’t know until now. Because I think I’m mature enough now to not be overly dramatic about it and just deal with it and find solutions rather than dwell on the emotional side of it."

In 2022, the Smile singer revealed she was diagnosed with ADHD after moving to the States. She said that the diagnosis is one of the reasons why she decided to take a step back from social media in 2020.

"I’ve actually just been diagnosed with adult ADHD," she told The Times. "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."

The Barbie director, 41, described having 'a tonne of energy' and being a 'real rule follower' as a child.

"I’ve always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm," she told The Observer. "I was just interested in, like, everything. I had a really active imagination. I had a lot of really deep feelings. I was emotional.

"Now, as an adult, I have ADHD – they diagnosed me. But as a kid, my mum was like, 'Let’s sign her up for every activity. Let’s tire her out.'"

The model and actor, 32, previously spoke candidly about struggling in her teen years with her ADHD diagnosis.

Speaking back in 2017, she explained: "I’m not in hell now. The things that stick with all of us the most are the darker times, the more traumatic times. Those are some of the points I remember the most. I didn’t know how to communicate my emotions. I was very ashamed of the way I felt. I had a very privileged upbringing, I was very lucky, I went to an amazing school."

She continued: "And then the guilt of feeling that way and not being able to tell anyone because I shouldn’t feel that way and I shouldn’t feel bad. It’s the guilt."

When Solange was first told that she had ADHD in 2008, she demanded a second opinion. "I was diagnosed with ADHD twice," she told BET.

"I didn’t believe the first doctor who told me and I had a whole theory that ADHD was just something they invented to make you pay for medicine, but then the second doctor told me I had it. I guess I was in denial. I don't understand exactly what it is."