Nadia Sawalha (b.1964) is an British actress, television personality and YouTuber. She is known for her role of Annie Palmer in Eastenders (1997-1999) and has been a long-term panellist on the ITV talk show, Loose Women.
In 2022, she received her ADHD diagnosis in her late 50s.
The Guardian (2022)
Speaking on Loose Women on Thursday, Sawalha, 58, revealed that she had been living with the condition since childhood, but had only been diagnosed after making a film about ADHD for the daytime show.
A video segment in the programme showed Sawalha going through an ADHD assessment and diagnosis with a specialist, as well as speaking to others living with the condition, including her husband, Mark Adderley.
She said she had feared she had early onset dementia, and talked through her symptoms, which can include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
She revealed that she had stopped driving because she couldn’t concentrate on the road, and she struggled to sit quietly without noise to help her relax. “I couldn’t accept there was some reason for all this chaos I’ve experienced throughout my life,” she said.
Sawalha urged viewers to explore any similar symptoms. “If any of this resonates with you, just investigate it a bit further. I have started medication and things are really changing for me,” she said. “The point is you are very high risk of addictive behaviour. It’s not just silly people running around doing silly things.”