Joe Swash has said that although his ADHD diagnosis has "helped me understand myself better", he finds himself "struggling more" as he gets older.
The 44-year-old, who rose to fame as an actor in BBC soap EastEnders and has in recent years turned his hand to presenting, fronting shows such as I'm a Celebrity... Extra Camp and Minute To Win It, opened up about having ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, last year in a fly-on-the-wall reality series with his wife, Stacey Solomon.
Diagnosis and Early Life
The show documents the couple and their family during day-to-day life at their home in Essex, and during the first series of Stacey and Joe in 2025, Joe revealed his ADHD and dyslexia diagnosis and reflected on his school days and feeling misunderstood as a child.
"Being a kid, I don't think ADHD back then was even recognised, so I had ADHD and a touch of dyslexia, so I really got tarred with the brush of being a naughty kid," he shared at the time in a candid on-screen moment. "I feel like I sort of invented this character to sort of protect myself a little bit, just making people laugh."
Current Struggles
Now, during a new interview with the Press Association, the TV personality discussed his diagnosis and said: "It's helped me understand myself a little bit better. I'm a little less hard on myself, as I understand that there's a reason why I do things in a certain order." He added: "It doesn't make a difference to my life. The kids still love me, I still love my kids."
The NHS describes ADHD as a condition where the brain works differently, affecting a person's ability to concentrate, sit still and control impulses.
"I think I'm struggling more as I'm getting older and I'm getting busier," Joe admitted. "But that's why fishing helps. It just lets me reset myself a little bit."
Family and New Series
Joe met his wife in 2010 when she was competing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He was co-hosting the spin-off, and they have been together since 2016. The couple tied the knot in 2022 and have three children together: Rex, who was born in 2019, Rose, born in 2021, and Belle, born in 2023. There is also Zach (Solomon's first son with ex-boyfriend Dean Cox), Leighton (Solomon's son with ex-fiance Aaron Barnham) and Harry, Swash's son with ex-fiancee Emma Sophocleous.
The new series of Stacey And Joe will return to BBC One on November 10 at 8pm, and all episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer.
