Sam Thompson has discussed the highs and lows of his ADHD and said he “has to get a handle on it” as he wants to become a father one day.
Speaking in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! camp with Marvin Humes and Josie Gibson, the reality TV star said he had been diagnosed last year. Made In Chelsea star Sam, 31, added: “There’s loads of people who are actually of a certain age who get diagnosed way later. When the low bits happen it goes low. But then the highs are really high. My girlfriend Zara is so steady and it’s so good for me. When she’s going steady I’m going like that [mimes wavy line].
“My timekeeping is terrible. I get quite selfish, not just with her [my girlfriend], with everyone, my mates or whatever. My listening to Zara… I’m just finding myself staring off at something completely different. You sort of feel like you’re a bit of a k*** sometimes.” Josie said: “But you would not be Sam without it.”
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Marvin said: “I would just always say you’ve got loads of energy. Your energy is crazy bro and it’s what makes you great.” Sam added: “Weird no one spotted it beforehand at school, but if you look at all of my report cards, every single one says the same, it says: ‘Likeable enough guy, but lacks focus’. It’s staring at you in the face. 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 textbook because I couldn’t understand the words going into my head. You want to do good. You don’t want to be mischievous or anything like that.”
Sam also spoke in the Bush Telegraph about the condition before there was a further conversation in camp. Sam confessed: “I want to be a dad at some point. That’s another thing, we’ve got to get a handle on it. You’ve got to look after a child.”
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Marvin said: “You would be the most incredible dad.” Sam said: “What you’re doing now, sitting down, having an honest conversation, being able to listen, advise…”
Marvin advised: “Trust me, all my kids care about is giving them attention, being with them in the moment, loving them, cuddling them, they just want to have all of you and to be as fun as possible and feel loved.” Sam in the Bush Telegraph said: “Big Marv, he’s a really thoughtful bloke and such a great listener. He’s just a really good guy.”
Marvin told Sam: “I can’t imagine doing this without you being here and you being as much fun as what we’ve had.” Josie agreed: “Yeah, no way!” Sam’s partner Zara McDermott has also been speaking about Sam and his ADHD this week. Answering questions on her Instagram, she said: “He’s definitely more hyperactive and energetic around groups of people/new people, whereas I’m more reserved. But when he’s comfortable around you he mellows out a lot more and he is more calm.
”Anyone who has or knows anyone who has ADHD will know that it’s impossible to maintain such a high all the time. When he’s at home he’s often recharging his batteries because he does get quite exhausted by himself. Bless him. So when it’s just us, I’m usually the one wanting to go out and do a million things. I’m the one that wants to be on the go doing things all the time and he does like his downtime at home.”
She added: ”Sam knows he’s got a lot of energy and can be full on to people sometimes. But I think that’s why so many people warm to him. It seems to me that everyone has warmed to him in camp. I think it would be a very different camp without him there. He has created more fun and excitement for everyone.”
