This year’s ITV jungle is filled with all the classic ‘celebrity’ candidates, a former politician, a TV presenter, a comedian and a boyband member.
And, of course, there’s a star who seems to have done every celebrity reality show under the sun – this year it’s Sam Thompson fulfilling the duty on this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The 31-year-old is best known for Made in Chelsea and has been on the likes of Celebrity Big Brother, Celebs Go Dating and Celeb SAS who Dares Wins before arriving as a campmate this series.
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But, while Thompson might be pretty excitable and upbeat in the jungle, he was previously left ‘terrified’ by the diagnosis of two neurological conditions.
The reality TV star underwent various tests for his Channel 4 documentary Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD? earlier this year.
In the programme, Thompson was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism at the age of 30.
The Made in Chelsea staple said he’s ‘always known there was slightly something different’ about him, motivating him to get tested.
“But it’s only since I’ve started to ‘adult’ a bit more that I’ve wanted to figure it out, because a lot of symptoms were getting worse,” he added.
Thompson also explained to Metro how ‘terrifying’ he finds his conditions.
“It wasn’t one bad day but more an accumulation of things. I misplace things.
"I’m quite bad at messaging my friends back. I turn up late to events. I’m a fully grown adult, but I struggle with paying the bills,” he said.
"I’ll get sent parking tickets, and then I’ll feel overwhelmed at the process of paying them so then I get further fines.
"It’s terrifying. I get really panicky. It feels like the world is ending. I spiral out of control."
He also credited girlfriend Zara McDermott (also a reality TV star) for helping him with his life after getting his diagnosis.
Thompson explained: “The wheels fall off, and Zara will have to step in to do it. I’m aware that I find things hard that other people find easy."
So far during his time in the jungle, the lad’s had JLS dance lessons with Marvin Humes, quizzed Tony Bellew on fighting Oleksandr Usyk and taken on sea creatures in a Bushtucker Trial.
You can watch I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! each night on ITV1 and ITVX.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, ITV, Im A Celebrity, Mental Health, TV and Film, ADHD
Jess Battison