EastEnders star said 'they've got it wrong' and 'sobbed' after shock health diagnosis
Martine McCutcheon has revealed that she thought they'd "got it wrong" after receiving a shock health diagnosis she thought was a "lazy label".
The actress, 48, is best known for her role as Tiffany Mitchell in the BBC soap EastEnders, having starred in the series from 1994 until 1998 and later appearing in the massively popular romcom Love Actually.
It was reported by the Express in 2023 that Martine has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), as well as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia and Lyme disease.
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In a recent episode of the ADHD Chatter Podcast (October 15th), Martine recounted when she first received her diagnosis and how she "sobbed" once she "started reading more".
Martine said: "At first, I was like, 'They've got it wrong', and I forgot about it. And my mum was like, 'Oh, you know; I know you said that you've been diagnosed with ADHD, and there's this book about women and how it's very different'.
"And I was like, 'But I don't have it; I think they got it wrong'. She was like, 'What do you mean they got it wrong? Like, you did a full-on private like indulgent pretty fabulous test, Martine, and you were...your score was high."
Martine said she told her it was "complicated" and there were "other factors" and she didn't think it was "just that", saying that she thought it was a "lazy label".
She went on to say: "I started reading more and more and then I sobbed. One day, I just sobbed and I felt so sad for all the things that could have been so different if only I'd known all the choices that I would have made from a different place, from a different angle that would have been so much more kind and compassionate to who I was."
ADHD is a condition that impacts people's behaviour and can lead to difficulties with concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, according to the NHS.
In response to an Instagram post by Jay Shetty in 2023, the soap star shared that for those who find it difficult to focus or "have ADD like me, or ADHD or depression, peri meno or anxiety etc", she recommended "these little but potent 10-minute meditations".
In addition to ADD, Martine's CFS resulted in symptoms that were reportedly so bad that at one point, she had to use a wheelchair and didn't have the energy to take showers, reports the Express.