Amber Gill breaks her silence on her ADHD diagnosis at the age of 24: ‘Even after I got diagnosed, I still didn’t want to take medication’

By Wikirub On Feb 7, 2024

Amber Gill has discussed her ADHD diagnosis for the very first time during an appearance on Shivani Pau’s podcast A Millennial Mind.

In a joint Instagram post, shared with Shivani on Monday, Amber, 26, posted a clip in which she discussed how her undiagnosed ADHD affected her post-Love Island life before she was finally diagnosed at the age of 24.

She told Shivani, who has interviewed the likes of Stephen Bartlett and Jamie Laing: ‘I’m going to tell a story – I don’t think I’ve ever said this before.

‘I was getting too distracted, I was being too much of a perfectionist, there was so many things going wrong.

‘And I remember looking at what people were saying, and they were like, “Why is Amber not doing anything? She won the show, people seem to be doing loads more than her.”

On Monday, Amber Gill, 26, broke her silence on her ADHD diagnosis at the age of 24 for the very first time on Shivani Pau’s podcast A Millennial Mind

Amber and Shivani shared an Instagram clip in which Amber discussed life post her Love Island win (Amber pictured soon after she said she would get tested for ADHD in August 2021)

Amber told Shivani, who has interviewed the likes of Stephen Bartlett and Jamie Laing: ‘I’m going to tell a story – I don’t think I’ve ever said this before’

‘And I was like, “What is actually going on? Maybe I’ve got ADHD. I’ve functioned this way for 23, 24 years. Why do I need to look into it now?

‘Even after I got diagnosed, I still didn’t want to take medication. And I don’t know if that’s because there’s stigma around medication.

‘I was like: “I don’t want to change my personality. I don’t know what’s ADHD and what’s actually me as a human being.” So, I was really scared.’

The star first announced that she might be getting tested for ADHD in 2021, however she did not share the results.

She came out as gay in 2022, remarking that she couldn’t put herself through a relationship with a man anymore as they made her ‘feel ill’.

When asked why people were so up in arms after this, Amber replied: ‘Because I came from a very straight show.

‘I’ve never made it aware in people’s worlds that that could be a thing for me so I think people were like: “What? Where’s that come from?”‘

Her first public same-sex relationship was with Arsenal star Jen Beattie whom she dated from December 2022 to November 2023.

She recalled: ‘I was getting too distracted, I was being too much of a perfectionist, there was so many things going wrong’

WHAT IS ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

It affects around five per cent of children in the US. Some 3.6 per cent of boys and 0.85 per cent of girls suffer in the UK.

Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more noticeable as a child grows. These can also include:

Constant fidgeting
Poor concentration
Excessive movement or talking
Acting without thinking
Inability to deal with stress
Little or no sense of danger
Careless mistakes
Mood swings
Forgetfulness
Difficulty organising tasks
Continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
Inability to listen or carry out instructions

Most cases are diagnosed between six and 12 years old. Adults can also suffer, but there is less research into this.

ADHD’s exact cause is unclear but is thought to involve genetic mutations that affect a person’s brain function and structure.

Premature babies and those with epilepsy or brain damage are more at risk.

ADHD is also linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourette’s and epilepsy.

There is no cure.

A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make day-to-day life easier.

Source: NHS Choices

‘And I remember looking at what people were saying, and they were like, “Why is Amber not doing anything? She won the show, people seem to be doing loads more than her”

‘And I was like, “What is actually going on? Maybe I’ve got ADHD. I’ve functioned this way for 23, 24 years. Why do I need to look into it now?’

The star first announced that she might be getting tested for ADHD in 2021, however she did not share the results (pictured in 2023)

Amber announced she was gay in 2022 and joked about switching teams. When asked why people were so up in arms after this, Amber replied: ‘Because I came from a very straight show’

Amber won the fifth series of Love Island in 2019.

She split the £50k with Irish rugby player Greg O’Shea, with the two beating public favourites Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury.

The two split just five weeks after their July win, and Greg, 28, later said he regretted the break-up, which allegedly happened over text.

Amber’s and all episodes of A Millennial Mind are available to listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Her first public same-sex relationship was with Arsenal star Jen Beattie (pictured) whom she dated from December 2022 to November 2023

Amber won the fifth series of Love Island in 2019 with Greg O’Shea, 28, beating favourites Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury. Greg dumped Amber through a text just five weeks later