Blue star Lee Ryan shares 'debilitating' experience on stage after autism diagnosis

Blue star Lee Ryan has explained what made him want to 'run off the stage' after an 'atrocious' experience while performing in the UK yesterday.

The popular boy band are still performing together after producing a host of classic hits in the 2000s, with 'All Rise' still a banger to this very day.

However, there has been some controversy attached to group member Lee Ryan in recent years due to two assault charges brought against him.

The first of those saw him given a 12-month suspended prison sentence for racially aggravated common assault by beating and behaving in an abusive way towards a cabin crew member while on a British Airways flight.

He had called the flight attendant a 'chocolate cookie' and said he wanted to have her 'chocolate children' while he was drunk on the plane, while a later assault charge saw him initially admit to biting a police officer's ear, although that was later thrown out after he suggested he had taken bad advice from his solicitor and told to enter the guilty plea.

It was during the second court case that his legal representatives revealed his autism diagnosis, as it was explained that he had 'impairments in understanding what is said to him'.

Now, the 42-year-old has given more of an insight into his struggles with autism and how they effect his every day, after the group performed together in Weston-super-Mare yesterday (Sunday 7 June).

Taking to Instagram, he said: "I got on stage with the boys in Weston-Super-Mare, and it was horrendously windy, to the point of where they had to kind of stop the show and stop people performing. So we went on eventually, and it was quite difficult to perform, but for me it was debilitating completely. I froze. The wind, for me, it's a sensory thing. I can't stand it.

"I can't stand the wind. I just can't stand it hitting me. I suppose it could be the same for people with sounds. Luckily I don't have it with sound because my job would be severely affected if it was. But for me it's the wind. I can't stand the way it hits me.

"So when we were performing, even though for anyone it would be difficult on stage, for me it was atrocious. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't perform. I couldn't get through it. It completely overtook my whole body to the point where I wanted to run off stage. I'm still kinda learning about everything for myself. It sounds kind of nuts to say that I've got a wind sensory thing, but for me it makes a lot of sense."

Fellow band member Duncan James took to the comments to show his public support, writing: "Love this leeroy and I could see u struggling with it. @mrscmcguinness taught me lots about sensory issues regarding autism so I totally get it. Love you bro."

Back in 2023, the singer shared his diagnosis with fans via the official Blue account.

He wrote: "As you all may have read recently, I have been diagnosed with Autism and ADHD in the past year. I just wanted to let you all know that I’m OK, it’s obviously a lot for me and my family to work through so please give me a bit of time to come to terms with it all.

"I’ve struggled with various things since I was a child, but these things weren’t really known about back then or spoken about. What it means for me is that I have a high IQ but my brain works in a different way to others.

"For all the kids and adults out there who are going through the same thing, there’s nothing wrong with you. You might be very clever, highly creative – have highs and lows, but you might deal with social situations differently from others. You might react differently, particularly to sounds, sights, smells and even touch.

"People might think you’re being rude, difficult or chaotic. This is going to sound a bit weird but I’ve always hated the wind, the way it feels on my skin when it hits you. I’m particularly sensitive to touch, so when someone does that and I’m in a stressful situation then I might react quickly.

"There is so much I’m learning about myself and a lot is starting to make sense. Anyway, thanks for listening. In a world of chaos, be kind and I’ll see you soon – thank you to all of you that have supported me."