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ADHD and the trend of diagnosis by TikTok

How a hashtag has helped and hindered people.

With more than 20 billion views of the hashtag #ADHD, some people have turned to TikTok to self-diagnose the condition rather than wait for a formal assessment.

麻豆社 journalist, Ben Moore, investigates for Access All having started his own pathway to diagnosis on the social media platform. Henry Shelford from ADHD UK gives advice on what to do if all this sounds very familiar. And why he thinks the name of the condition doesn't accurately reflect what it is.

And British Comedian of the Year, Dan Tiernan, joins Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey to talk about his dyspraxia, life on the comedy circuit and the number of jobs he was sacked from.
Produced by: Keiligh Baker, Amy Elizabeth and Emma Tracey
Recorded and mixed by: Dave O'Neill
Series editor: Beth Rose
Editor: Damon Rose

Release date:

Available now

30 minutes

Transcript

EMMA- You鈥檙e choosing your mobility equipment for a, quote, walk, quote this weekend.

NIKKI- Quote walk.

EMMA- I mean, that鈥檚 so rude of me, right, to say it like that?

NIKKI- No, people worry, don鈥檛 they, when they say, 鈥楢re you going to go for a wheel or a roll or a walk?鈥�

EMMA- Oh, they get themselves all up in knots about it.

NIKKI- All up in knots.听

EMMA- Oh my goodness.听

NIKKI- No, I couldn鈥檛 care less. If I go in my home electric wheelchair then I will get the tyres very muddy, and I will come back to the bungalow and no matter how much you clean them they will ruin the carpets.听

EMMA- But why would you choose that one over a scooter for this walk?

NIKKI- I feel more comfortable actually.

EMMA- You feel more physically comfortable in that chair?

NIKKI- Yeah, it just sits you upright better.听

EMMA- I鈥檝e heard you calling it an electric chair, which seems kind of odd to me because when I think of an electric chair I think of the thing that people traditionally were executed in.

NIKKI- What, go to die?

EMMA- Yeah, basically, he鈥檚 for the chair.

NIKKI- What do I call it, Ems?

EMMA- I鈥檝e heard it called a powered wheelchair, a power chair. I don鈥檛 know. Not an electric. Well, I mean call it what you like.

NIKKI- Motorised.

EMMA- I鈥檓 just saying if I think that it鈥檚 something that people are going to get executed in then everybody else will as well. Maybe there鈥檚 a button that you don鈥檛 know about.

NIKKI- Potentially. I mean, I hope not.

EMMA- But what if like your battery got really wet.

NIKKI- Oh, that鈥檚 happened before. I was at a hen do and it was raining and we couldn鈥檛 get out of the reception area because everywhere was flooded. But I鈥檇 had a few too many drinks and I was like, don鈥檛 worry people, I鈥檓 going to get us through this lake, this river, just like Noah鈥檚 Ark, two by two, follow me. So, I got someone to hop on the back of my scooter and I just went shooting through this water. It came right up to my calf muscles. Managed just about to get out and then my scooter shot off, faster than it鈥檚 ever gone before because it was having some kind of battery malfunction, and I went flying into a tree. Then it stopped working completely. Then obviously four people had to push me back to the hotel.听

MUSIC- Theme music.听

NIKKI- It鈥檚 only Access All, the little disability and mental health pod with the big attitude. Do you like that, Ems?聽

EMMA- I love it, yes

NIKKI- I came up with that last night. Thank you so much for picking us out of a gazillion other podcasts that you could be listening to. I鈥檓 Nikki Fox and I鈥檓 in London.听

EMMA- And I鈥檓 Emma Tracey and I鈥檓 in Edinburgh. I have to say that this week we are steering more towards the mental health and neurodiversity side of things. And you will find out today whether Dr TikTok can tell you whether you have ADHD.

NIKKI- We have got some important discussions coming up so stay tuned. So, if you have a friend or a colleague, or quite frankly anyone, who you think would enjoy the kinds of things we talk about on the pod then tell them to find Access All on 麻豆社 Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.听

Ems, are you on TikTok?

EMMA- No. I think we鈥檙e a bit old for that actually.听

NIKKI- Yeah, I鈥檓 not a TikTok鈥檈r because I鈥檓 ancient. But there is one particular trend that has caught the eye of a 麻豆社 journalist Ben Moore on TikTok, and that is the number of young people using the site to diagnosis themselves and others with ADHD. Now, Ben is here with us today to talk us through this. But first of all let鈥檚 get an idea, for those of us like me and Em who aren鈥檛 on it, what is out there.

CLIP- Five signs you may have ADHD. So, what even is ADHD? Five signs you might have ADHD. What it鈥檚 actually like to have ADHD. You think you may have ADHD. Do you have ADHD? Do you have ADHD? The chances are if you watch this video鈥� Do you have ADHD? If you watch this video鈥� This video is an鈥� [Long beep]

EMMA- Argh.

NIKKI- I feel like I might have it listening to that.听

EMMA- Oh honestly, it sounds like when you do a capture and you get an audio version. So, you know when you have to choose the buses on a picture to get through to the next bit of a form, and you get an audio version and that鈥檚 exactly what it sounds like. But yeah, I鈥檝e just done a quick search and I can see that on TikTok the ADHD hashtag has had over 20 billion 鈥� not million 鈥� billion views.

NIKKI- Wow. Now, to talk to us about this today we have got 麻豆社 journalist Ben Moore, who actually got his diagnosis after watching videos on TikTok. Hello Ben.

BEN- Hello, good morning. Yeah, that took me back, that little montage of audio there, to the days where I was wondering whether I was neurodivergent or not.听

NIKKI- Yeah, I bet that was a big old flashback for you. Well, thank you so much for coming on and talking to us about this, darling. We鈥檙e also joined by Henry Shelford from ADHD UK. Hello Henry.听

HENRY- Hello.听

NIKKI- Right, we鈥檝e got Ben, we鈥檝e got Henry, let鈥檚 get into this because both of you do have ADHD. I was going to ask you first of all, Henry, I know there ae so many kind of misconceptions, can you tell us exactly what is ADHD?

HENRY- ADHD one of its problems is it just has the worst name for any mental health condition. It鈥檚 attention deficit hyperactive disorder, it鈥檚 wildly negative, deficit disorder.听

NIKKI- Yeah.

HENRY- And hyperactivity not a requirement. Predominantly hyperactive is actually the smallest component of people with ADHD, it鈥檚 around 15%, but it鈥檚 the thing that everyone thinks of it. They think predominantly of a little boy running around. And we know it is both girls and boys, men and women. And we do also know that women and girls if they have hyperactivity they express it differently. So, that sort of stereotype just doesn鈥檛 apply. And attention deficit it鈥檚 not a deficit of attention; it鈥檚 a lack of control of attention. The official definition of ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by inattention, excessive activity and/or impulsivity. It doesn鈥檛 really communicate what it is. There鈥檚 no snappy summary.

NIKKI- I do think there鈥檚 still definitely that preconception of ADHD. I just want to give our listeners who really don鈥檛 have a Scooby-doo about this some examples as to what people with ADHD struggle with?聽

HENRY- So, there are three kinds of ADHD: there鈥檚 predominantly hyperactive and impulsive, smallest amount, 15%; predominantly inattentive, 20% to 30%; and combined type 50% to 75%. Most people have combined. Hyperactivity the best way to think of it is an internal energy that must be used. For me to sit still it takes real effort. I have to hold myself, and actually the longer I hold it sort of builds up in me. And as an adult I鈥檝e learnt to express it in more socially acceptable ways, so I move my hands as I speak; whereas as a kid obviously it was much more fidgeting, talking very quickly but talking non-stop, not waiting to speak, blurting out, interjecting without properly speaking 鈥� they鈥檙e all part of that impulsivity, part of that hyperactivity.听

NIKKI- Ben, could I bring you in here as well? What are your symptoms?聽

BEN- Mine tend to revolve around memory, emotion and focus. My memory is beyond shocking. I have no idea where my wallet, keys, my phone are at this moment in time. And I have to use an elaborate system of electronic tags to find things that I own because I just have no working short-term memory. I have to carry a notebook around with me a lot, which helps, but I have to write down every single task that I have to do as it pops into my head or it will have gone forever. I also massively struggle with regulating my emotion. I feel things incredibly strongly. And the diagnosis has massively helped my life.

NIKKI- We mentioned, didn鈥檛 we, up top Ben that TikTok played a part in you getting your diagnosis?聽

BEN- As someone who predominantly works in video and digital video as well I had to be on TikTok, and I kept spotting these things. And my wife as well kept saying, 鈥楾his could be you, this could be you鈥�. The more you watch these videos of course the more they appear on your feed. So, that led me to go to my GP, which is the first step, and that led to a bit of a waiting list, and then I was diagnosed.听

NIKKI- But the diagnosis was good for you because it helped you. But I鈥檓 just wondering how you feel about TikTok and people diagnosing themselves?聽

BEN- This is what I wanted to look at. What can you say in 90 seconds, 30 seconds of a post? And it was very generic stuff about, hey if you lose your keys, or you can鈥檛 keep your legs still while you鈥檙e sitting down you might have ADHD. And it got me thinking, with the waiting list so long, this is a stop-gap, this is a substitute, this is people鈥檚 first encountering with neurodiversity or neurodivergency. And it worries me that people are looking at this and thinking oh, I must have ADHD. You might not; you might be autistic, or anxiety. And these things could be dangerous when they鈥檙e misdiagnosed, and really cause probably more harm than good.听

NIKKI- I鈥檓 just wondering how you feel specifically about the whole TikTok and people diagnosing themselves by watching videos. Are you concerned about that?聽

HENRY- Shocker: some stuff on social media isn鈥檛 accurate. And obviously that鈥檚 a problem, but it鈥檚 not a TikTok problem, it鈥檚 a social media problem. That鈥檚 something that鈥檚 really interesting about ADHD is that people haven鈥檛 spoken about it, and something wonderful happens when they do, and will happen as a result of this podcast and it鈥檚 wonderful that it鈥檚 happening, is that some people listening will go, wait, what, that鈥檚鈥hat, that鈥檚 me. And they will then use that to go and look in deeper, as Ben did. And when people get a diagnosis they talk about this feeling of relief that everything fits together. If we look at the balance of good versus bad, the good that it provides in informing people about ADHD does outweigh some of the bad. I think you can get some really that everyone鈥檚 got ADHD sort of feeling. The traits around issues around procrastination, timeliness and need for focus is something that is almost part of the human condition. It鈥檚 having it to an extent that it鈥檚 having a debilitating impact on your life that makes it ADHD. And understanding that difference is important.听

BEN- You don鈥檛 want people to just start watching TikTok and go, oh therefore I have ADHD and leave it there. It鈥檚 fine in pointing you to an awareness, but you then need to go to your GP and see it through.听

NIKKI- Now, Ben you recently spoke to Molly, a social media influencer. Let鈥檚 have a listen to what she has to say about it:

MOLLY- Hi, I鈥檓 Molly Brooks-Dridge, and I鈥檓 ADHD and autistic, and I鈥檓 a social media influencer. I have a huge responsibility, and when I produce content a third party will check it for me to make sure that all my facts are correct, that the research that I鈥檝e linked below is all correct. Because I know that if I don鈥檛 it can be very misleading. Some people only show little bits, like oh I鈥檝e lost my keys. Everyone loses their keys occasionally. But I feel like it鈥檚 only ever half the story, and people sometimes self-diagnose because they only use the very generic traits. I just sometimes worry that it鈥檚 just building to the stigma of it being over-diagnosed. Influencers have a responsibility because I feel like if they have the platform and the voice they should always make sure they say speak to a professional. Because although we have ADHD that doesn鈥檛 make us experts, and we aren鈥檛 doctors.

NIKKI- That鈥檚 really interesting. Go Molly.

BEN- She鈥檚 so engaging. And we just in my opinion need a lot more social media influencers like Molly.听

HENRY- And just on that Molly point of over-diagnosis, in this country we do not have over-diagnosis, we have wild under-diagnosis. There are at least 2 million people with ADHD who don鈥檛 know it. And we know from NHS data that only 190,000 people are in receipt of ADHD medication.听

EMMA- Henry, what advice do you give to those people who have seen those videos, been on TikTok and think that they might have ADHD?

HENRY- We鈥檇 like people very much to go and get a formal assessment, because it changes everything; it changes you from thinking like you might have something to knowing you definitely do. And that allows you to make much stronger actions that are going to help you, and that鈥檚 very important in being able to fulfil your potential and having great success.听

NIKKI- Ben, Henry, this has been so interesting. Thank you so much for joining us today.听

BEN- Thank you, it鈥檚 been lovely to chat.听

HENRY- Thank you.听

NIKKI- Now, I should mention if any of our listeners have been affected by any of this today and need some help and support then please visit 麻豆社 Action Line at bbc.co.uk/actionline.听

On a recent episode of our podcast you may remember that figures from the 2021 census showed that the number of disabled people in England had gone up a little since the last census in 2011. Now, the actual percentage of disabled people in the population decreased by 1.6 percentage points. In Wales the percentage of the population had also decreased. And that was quite a shock, wasn鈥檛 it Em?聽

EMMA- This is from the census forms that people filled out in early 2021 when we were right in the middle of the pandemic, so long-COVID was affecting lots of people, and then people are generally living longer. So, I was absolutely convinced that the number would have gone up much, much more than it did.听

NIKKI- Yeah. Now, this week the Office for National Statistics has released more info from the most recent census, and with us to analyse it we have got the wonderful Phil Friend. Hello Phil.

PHIL- Hello Nikki. How are you?聽

NIKKI- So nice to have you on and I鈥檓 good thank you. Consultant, older disabled fella, a wheelchair user and a thinker, you are very much a thinker. This time the ONS has given us more information, and they鈥檝e included age, sex and deprivation for disabled people in England and Wales. So, what does it tell us, Emma?

EMMA- Well, this one really caught my attention: more than double the number of females between the ages of ten and 19 were identified as disabled on those census forms than in the 2011 census.

NIKKI- Now, is this because on the ONS report they mentioned that mental health was not an option back in 2011 but it was on the most recent census?聽

PHIL- The numbers of people affected by mental health issues during COVID was, I don鈥檛 know what the exact figures are, but they clearly went up. Parents completing the forms on behalf of their children may see it as a way of also increasing their chances, connecting the census form filling with other form filling, because we鈥檙e endlessly filling in forms, aren鈥檛 we, as disabled people.听

NIKKI- Yeah. We know that sadly poverty and disability do go hand in hand, it鈥檚 a fairly unavoidable fact all around the world. But if you live in a deprived area within England and Wales you are twice as likely to be disabled than if you live in a more affluent area.

PHIL- That鈥檚 horrific.听

NIKKI- It鈥檚 awful, isn鈥檛 it?聽

PHIL- That really is horrific. And I looked up what deprivation means, because we use this word, what does it actually mean, it means income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and services and your living environment. And if you look at barriers to services that鈥檚 things like overcrowding, homelessness, housing and so on. So, all of those things contribute to making it more likely that you have some form of disability. And that is scary stuff.听

EMMA- Yeah, but the gap even widens again. 21.6% of 40 to 44 year olds in the most deprived areas were disabled, as against 8.1% in the least deprived areas. So, there鈥檚 a massive, massive difference.听

PHIL- Goodness, I didn鈥檛 know that. That鈥檚 extraordinary. And what we鈥檙e seeing going on, cuts in benefits, all those other things, are just going to make it worse.听

NIKKI- The report also, Phil, shows that there are fewer older disabled people. What do you put that down to?

PHIL- The older people took the heaviest toll of any group really in COVID.听

NIKKI- Yeah. When we first got the first figures through I initially thought oh, it鈥檚 because six in ten of those who dies from coronavirus were disabled, but the ONS didn鈥檛 mention it at that point. But they have actually specifically mentioned this now in this report.听

PHIL- Yeah.听

EMMA- They did, but they鈥檝e also, the census question changed from 2011 to 2021. In 2011 there was a prompt saying something like maybe it鈥檚 an old-age related condition. Whereas in 2021 the prompt wasn鈥檛 there, so maybe older people thought about their health differently and thought that if it was relating to old age that it wasn鈥檛 worth putting down as a disability.听

NIKKI- Phil, thank you so much. It鈥檚 great to have you on, it really is.听

PHIL- Lovely to see you.听

NIKKI- Thanks for helping us go through all those figures. We would love to hear from you so please do get in contact with us. You can do that on WhatsApp, cue Laurence with the number:聽

LAURENCE- 0330 123 9480.

NIKKI- Send us a voice note, that鈥檚 my favourite, or just a little message.听

EMMA- Absolutely. You can tweet us @麻豆社AccessAll, and you can also email accessall@bbc.co.uk.听

NIKKI- Today we have got Dan Tiernan with us. Did I say that right, Irish Emma?聽

EMMA- Tiernan, yeah.听

DAN- Emma鈥檚 more bothered about the pronunciation of my name than I am I think.听

EMMA- I am to be fair.听

NIKKI- She鈥檚 made me bothered about it.听

EMMA- Yeah. I鈥檓 very protective of the way of saying Irish names for sure.听

NIKKI- Well, we got it right. I bet you鈥檙e glad to know that, Dan.听

DAN- I am.听

NIKKI- Dan is a brilliant stand-up comedian from Manchester. He鈥檚 come all the way from Manchester today. Thank you so much for coming to see us.听

DAN- Yeah, it鈥檚 great to be here. Thanks for having me.听

NIKKI- Now, there鈥檚 always a disability 鈥� it鈥檚 all we bang on about Dan 鈥� but there is a reason that you鈥檙e here today. Not just because you are a magnificent comedian, but also you are dyspraxic, aren鈥檛 you?聽

DAN- Yeah.

NIKKI- And you do mention it a bit, don鈥檛 you?聽

DAN- Yeah, I do go on about it for sure.听

NIKKI- You mention it as much as I mention I鈥檓 disabled or come out with some weird scooter gag. But I look like a try hard and you just do it so well.听

DAN- Really?

NIKKI- Yes.

DAN- I bet you don鈥檛 look like a try hard.听

NIKKI- No, I really do honestly.

DAN- Do you find it makes people tense when you mention it, or do you quite enjoy that?聽

NIKKI- I quite enjoy it. But it鈥檚 funny, you know when you were at school and you kind of overcompensate a little bit for being disabled, I still feel a bit like I鈥檓 that.听

DAN- Yeah.听

NIKKI- Now, you鈥檝e had recent success, haven鈥檛 you, because you won the 麻豆社 New Comedy Award and British Comedian of the Year.听

DAN- Yeah.听

NIKKI- Phenom.听

DAN- Yeah, mad, crazy.

NIKKI- Honestly, this guy is going to be a household name.听

EMMA- Up and coming.听

NIKKI- I know, I鈥檓 so excited. Now, I just want to know why you chose a career as a comedian. Obviously you鈥檝e got funny bones, I can tell that. But it鈥檚 a terrifying job, isn鈥檛 it?

DAN- Yeah. I mean, the fact that I can even say I鈥檝e chosen it as a job feels cool, because it didn鈥檛 really feel like a job when I was doing it or like it was ever going to be a job or anyone thought it was going to be a job. It was just like I felt like I needed to do stand-up.听

NIKKI- Was there no other career on the horizon for you?聽

DAN- I was so bad at everything, like so bad at everything. I鈥檇 get sacked from jobs, but they鈥檇 feel so bad about it. My first proper job was a glass collector, and it was like being at a drum and bass gig the amount of smashes and crashes when I was behind the bar.听

NIKKI- What kind of things do you struggle with with your dyspraxia?

DAN- I just remember, my earliest memory being super misunderstood in school. Like I was trying really hard but everyone thought I was dead lazy and stuff like that.听

NIKKI- Really?

DAN- Yeah. But then I started typing so then that鈥檚 not so much an issue; you don鈥檛 really have to write that much. I have really bad depth perception, special awareness, and then I鈥檓 just so chaotic and unorganised, mess.听

NIKKI- Are you?聽

DAN- Yeah. When I tell people who鈥檝e spent a little bit of time with me I鈥檓 dyspraxic they almost seem a bit relieved, like oh, oh you鈥檙e not鈥his is just鈥� I just seem to crash into everywhere when I arrive. I tried to learn to drive for two years. I had a very brave driving instructor, bravest woman in the world, with me at the wheel. But I really couldn鈥檛 take to it, the manoeuvres and stuff, no chance.听

EMMA- Like parking and stuff like that?聽

DAN- Yeah, that was the main thing. Doing the gears was obviously a nightmare because you鈥檝e got to think, but that I could get over. But when it came to the parking, the manoeuvres, the three-point turns my brain was just like no.听

NIKKI- So, with you not driving how do you get around to all your gigs and stuff? Are you just permanently on trains?聽

DAN- Yeah, I get loads of trains. The comedy industry car shares are a big thing.听

NIKKI- Oh that鈥檚 good.听

DAN- Because I鈥檓 in Manchester, a city with a lot of comedians in, if I鈥檝e got a gig then I鈥檒l try and get a driving act to come with me. But a lot of legging it for trains and stuff like that.听

NIKKI- You should record yourself with the other person you鈥檙e in the car with, like a car share thing. It鈥檇 be hilarious. It would be like the gig before the gig.听

DAN- It鈥檚 a common misconception in comedy. I remember my first ever car share, I was like woo-hoo here we go, ready to laugh. And it was the most boring journey. The most boring serious people in the world are comedians.听

NIKKI- Shy as well.听

EMMA- So disappointing.听

NIKKI- Shy?

DAN- Yeah, they are. People are so disappointed when they meet comedians.听

NIKKI- You鈥檙e not disappointing me in any way, shape or form.听

DAN- Really, am I not?聽

NIKKI- No.

EMMA- So, Dan, it鈥檚 hard to get around to gigs if you鈥檙e not driving, and you got sacked from a load of jobs. Why are you doing comedy? How is that any easier than any of the other jobs you got sacked from? How do you keep that going when you couldn鈥檛 keep other stuff going?聽

NIKKI- She鈥檚 a charmer, isn鈥檛 she?

DAN- Yeah, yeah. I like her. I really appreciate it. Please, just ask me bluntly, don鈥檛 beat around!

NIKKI- You got sacked.听

DAN- Yeah! Because a lot of people think it鈥檚 like the hardest job ever. I think it all just comes down to want and desire really. If I want something enough then I can make it happen, right. And stand-up comedy is my favourite thing in the world I鈥檇 say, just to watch and everything. So, that鈥檚 the difference. Whereas collecting glasses wasn鈥檛. And like I say, although I always wanted it to be a job I didn鈥檛 think it was ever really going to happen. I was just gigging really. That was just where I鈥檇 put my energy into. So, probably the Rosie Jones Disability Comedy Extravaganza鈥�

NIKKI- That鈥檚 the one I saw. You were so funny on that.听

DAN- That was my first thing. I didn鈥檛 have an agent at the time and the industry didn鈥檛 know who I was. And that had loads of industry in at the show and it turned out really great.听

NIKKI- Have you got an agent now?聽

DAN- I do have an agent, yeah.听

NIKKI- But did I read though a couple of years ago you nearly gave it up?聽

DAN- Yeah.

NIKKI- Why?

DAN- I think just before the pandemic I鈥檇 been going about three and a half years I鈥檇 been doing it for, and I started to really question like what am I doing, I鈥檓 not getting anywhere with this, I鈥檓 deluded. And a lot of people I鈥檝e spoken to in comedy about the two or three year mark you can find that you actually get worse at it, because you become too sort of clinical and too industry focused and too business-y about it, and the magic has kind of gone, and you end up not having fun. I think that was the main thing, I realised I鈥檓 not having fun with this at all. And then the pandemic happened and then I had the best part of a year and a half without stand-up, and then that made me think oh no, I really, really, really do want to do this. So, then when I came back I just enjoyed every gig.听

NIKKI- That鈥檚 really nice.听

EMMA- You鈥檙e known as the Dyspraxic Guy on the comedy scene, and I鈥檝e heard you do a great set of jokes about the benefits of dyspraxia. But is that limiting in terms of your comedy career being known as the Dyspraxic Guy? Do you ever want to get away from that or is that all good?聽

DAN- It鈥檚 quite a hard thing not to talk about on stage because it is an inherently funny thing. It used to be called clumsy child syndrome. I think a thing that makes you fall over a lot, like if you鈥檙e a comedian you鈥檙e going to talk about it. But yeah, definitely I don鈥檛 want to just be a dyspraxic comedian, I don鈥檛 want to just talk about dyspraxia; in the same way as a gay man, I don鈥檛 want to be a gay comedian. I just want to be a comedian who has those things.听

NIKKI- We talk about this a lot actually on the podcast, but do you identify as somebody who has a disability? Like would you say you are disabled with dyspraxia?聽

DAN- If I鈥檓 completely honest until a little while ago I would have said no. But now yes, definitely.听

NIKKI- Why has that changed?聽

DAN- Obviously when I got asked to do the Rosie Jones Disability Extravaganza I was like, that鈥檚 not my whole reason, I was like, okay yes I am then. No.

NIKKI- You鈥檙e going to pay me. I鈥檓 disabled.

DAN- I guess I am. But I think meeting a whole range of people who were on that line-up, because at first I did have imposter syndrome, I was like I shouldn鈥檛 be here, and then when I met them I was like, oh no, disability is such a huge spectrum. It almost makes a bit more sense to me if I do say it鈥檚 a disability I think, in a way. Because then it sort of accounts for the journey I鈥檝e had through all of that stuff and it makes it feel a bit more like it鈥檚 not just a made-up disorder or whatever.听

EMMA- Is there anything too personal though that you just wouldn鈥檛 overshare? I mean, there are things I would not share on this podcast, there really are. I鈥檓 sorry everybody, I know you think there actually aren鈥檛. I鈥檝e shared a lot.听

NIKKI- All she does it talk about sex.听

EMMA- There are definitely things I wouldn鈥檛 share on there.听

DAN- They鈥檙e thinking what is she possibly not sharing, what鈥檚 going on. There are things that in myself I鈥檓 not at a point where I can make them funny yet. There are lots of things I鈥檇 like to talk about. However, in terms of sharing too much or making yourself too vulnerable, I鈥檓 always keen to do those things because they make you grow as a performer and a human I guess. And you always want to make yourself as unique as possible as a comedian. So, I think nothing is off limits in terms of what I鈥檓 prepared to disclose. But in terms of what I鈥檓 able to make funny, yeah there are loads of things that are off limits I think.听

NIKKI- God, there鈥檚 going to be so much more to come from you, isn鈥檛 there?聽

DAN- I hope so.听

NIKKI- Very much so. And where can people see you do your comedy thing?聽

DAN- My comedy thing! So, gigs that I have, I run a gig in Manchester every Tuesday with my mates, and we do new material and stuff. That鈥檚 called Jokes at the Oaks.听

NIKKI- So, catch Dan because he鈥檚 really cool, and he鈥檚 got the best hair, and you really are very, very funny.

EMMA- What鈥檚 his hair like?聽

NIKKI- Oh it鈥檚 really lovely curly, thick, bouncy.听

DAN- It needs cutting though.听

NIKKI- No, I like it.

DAN- Like an overgrown hedge.听

NIKKI- Thank you so much for listening. Now, next week we鈥檙e doing a little old collaboration with our sister podcast Newscast, the mighty Newscast that like a million people listen to. So, we鈥檙e going to be appearing on your feed a little later than usual as Newscast, presented by us.听

EMMA- So, that means that Access All proper will be back in two weeks, but we鈥檒l still be here next week.听

NIKKI- Say goodbye, Emma.听

EMMA- Bye.听

[Trailer]

PRESENTER- You know when you鈥檙e worried about something, but then you talk to your friend who knows more about the subject than you do, and straightaway you start to feel better? That鈥檚 what we try and do every day on Newscast.听

CLIP- Now, they鈥檙e saying that that would be simple to do, it would give everyone certainty.听

PRESENTER- We talk to people who are in the news:

CLIP- You were chasing me round with a plate of cheese.听

PRESENTER- We talk to people who know what鈥檚 going on in the news:

CLIP- At least I didn鈥檛 get up and slap anybody.听

PRESENTER- We talk to people who understand what the news means:

CLIP- I think that he鈥檚 decided he鈥檚 going to listen, and then he might just intervene.

PRESENTER- And we talk to the best 麻豆社 journalists, asking the most important questions:聽

CHRIS- What鈥檚 wrong with chinos? You don鈥檛 want them, people to start wearing chinos?聽

CLIP- Don鈥檛 start me, Chris.听

PRESENTER- That鈥檚 Newscast from 麻豆社 News, the podcast that knows a lot of people who know a lot about the news.听

CLIP- And I was like, go on Kate, put some more welly into it!

CLIP- Listen to Newscast every day on 麻豆社 Sounds.听

CLIP- I鈥檓 glad I asked that.听

CLIP- I鈥檓 very glad that you asked that!

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