Olivia Attwood says she felt like a 'weirdo' in school amid ADHD diagnosis

Olivia Attwood says she’s shocked at the “incredible” response she’s received from fans since opening up about her ADHD diagnosis.

The 30-year-old reality star is set to return to our screens on Wednesday (May 19) with the first episode of Olivia Meets Her Match series two.

Essex beauty Olivia and her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack have welcomed the cameras into the lives once again as they take their relationship to the next step.

The former Love Island star spoke candidly about her mental health struggles in scenes for the first series of the ITVBe show which aired in November last year.

She may ooze confidence but behind her beaming smile Olivia is often plagued by crippling anxiety due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Opening up about the support she’s had from followers since sharing her struggles on camera, Olivia told Daily Star: “The reaction from that was incredible.

“It really shocked me because I didn’t actually think that people would pick up on it that much but what I’ve learnt is that ADHD, especially in women, is something people really don’t know much about.

“It’s not discussed as much as it should be and I think Neurodiversity in women in general is slightly overlooked because we display characteristics of those conditions very different to men, and women are really good at hiding those struggles so that’s why it often takes longer to be diagnosed.

“It’s definitely spurred me on to keep the conversation going and see what else I can do on that subject to raise awareness and make it more of a talking point so girls at school who have been diagnosed don’t feel like weirdos, like how I felt.”

She added: “So many women live with Neurodiveristity and it doesn’t mean your’e a weirdo or a freak, if anything it’s the opposite.”

The first series of Olivia Meets Her Match was ITVBe’s biggest new launch of 2020 and the TOWIE cast member was obviously delighted with the news.

“It was so surreal for me. It was the best feeling ever because you never know how a first series of something is going to be received,” Olivia said.

“We’re living in quite a weird time now, aren’t we, and you never know what people are going to love or hate. It’s really hard to predict but we were just so happy.”

Opening up about what fans can expect from the new season, the Essex beauty teased: “The second series is action-packed and there’s a lot of stuff which we didn’t get into series one.

“We’ve moved house, we’ve got a new dog and there’s some exciting projects I’ve been working on and we go behind the scenes with that.

“My mum’s back in the show, Brad’s mum is back in the show. Every episode is just so full which I absolutely love.”

Olivia admitted that the she does get some slight nerves before the launch of a new show.

She said: “The show is the product which we’re putting out there but it’s my life and the intimate moments Brad and I share so having it out there for public consumption can be very nerve-wrecking.

“I hope the viewers we had for series one come back for series two because they were just amazing.”

As well as a welcoming rescue dog Lola to the family and buying a lavish mansion in Cheshire, Olivia and Brad, 27, have also tried to plan their dream wedding.

Like other couples across the world, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has thrown their big day into serious chaos.

Bride-to-be Olivia explained: “In this series you’ll see us decide what to do with the wedding.

“We’re still hoping to get married this year, fingers crossed.

“We’ve had loads of setbacks and there’s issues that come up which you’ll see on the show. It’s stressful but exciting.”

Olivia Meets Her Match airs Wednesdays at 9pm on ITvBe and is also available to watch on the ITV Hub

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk