Actress Marisa Abela, known for her role in the BBC and HBO series Industry and for portraying Amy Winehouse in the 2024 biopic Back to Black, has revealed she has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The 29-year-old said the diagnosis came as a shock, as she had long misunderstood the condition.
In a new interview, Abela explained that she never associated her symptoms with OCD because she believed it was solely about cleanliness. 'I just have been diagnosed with OCD. I never thought I had it because I don't care about things being clean,' she said. 'I thought it was about cleanliness. Obviously, I'm not dirty, but my room's a mess.'
The BAFTA-winning actress, who married actor Jamie Bogyo in September last year, described how her intrusive thoughts and compulsive list-making had taken over her life. She sought help after realising the severity of her symptoms. 'I just can't turn my brain off and I'm thinking the same things all the time,' she revealed.
Abela also disclosed that her OCD had convinced her she had caused her own cancer diagnosis in 2020, when she was 23. 'I convinced myself that I'd thought it into existence,' she confessed. She underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove a thyroid tumour and is now in remission, though she will require lifelong medication.
The star, who grew up in Brighton, said the diagnosis has helped her understand herself better. She is exploring alternative therapies, including acupuncture, to manage her symptoms. 'I'm into anything that's a good thing that isn't therapy as well,' she said. 'I immediately feel like I can be free.'
