Sam Thompson has revealed he wants to be a “better version of himself” to his girlfriend Zara McDermott after she pushed him to seek help for his ADHD.
The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, admitted to tears when he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Sam described the emotional moment – which was filmed for his new documentary Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD?
He explained, “I didn’t think it would bother me, and after six hours of therapy, she told me I had ADHD.”
The expert then told Sam that he was a ‘really special person’ and at the time explained, ‘I just cried, I got really emotional. So yes, it was definitely a relief.’
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Thompson has revealed he wants to be a ‘better version of himself’ for girlfriend Zara McDermott after she pushed him to get help for his ADHD
Emotional: The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, admitted to tears when he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Sam then revealed that it was his desire to become a father that ultimately drove him to seek help for his ADHD.
The podcaster Staying Relevant admitted that he “really wants kids” one day, but felt like he “couldn’t even take care of himself” and had to find a way to cope.
Sam explained, “I think just knowing I have it has made me a better person, more self-aware.
“I want to be a father, I’m not saying that now, but at some point I want to know that I can take care of someone. I want to be the person they look up to and feel safe with and who I can take care of.”
In the reality star’s new documentary, his girlfriend Zara revealed that she sometimes gets frustrated when she does things for her lover, like administrative jobs.
He admitted it was “really hard” to listen to how Zara felt as he “didn’t know how much it had affected her before.”
Sam gushed, “Zara really is the best girlfriend in the world. She is so supportive of me, I am very lucky to have her. There are things we talk about in the documentary that hit a little hard and sometimes I thought oh I didn’t know my ADHD was affecting you like that.’
Their relationship has gone from strength to strength since they got back together in 2020 after a short breakup.
Sam added, “I will say this, we’ve always had a pretty good relationship, but there’s always room for improvement. I want to be the best version of myself for her because I never really had that. We talk more and the more you communicate, the better it gets.’
Couple: Sam then revealed that it was his desire to start a family with girlfriend Zara that ultimately drove him to seek help for his ADHD
Helping: Sam said his girlfriend Zara was a huge help with daily activities and didn’t realize how hard his condition had been on her
For much of his life, Sam thought there was something different about him and people often pointed that out.
Sam said, ‘Everyone told me when I was younger and then everyone I worked with, but I didn’t care, I was so young.
“As I got older it became clearer as life took on more series, things started to unravel and I had to read myself.”
Sam has made a successful career by being a likeable and funny person on TV and social media. He now presents a show on Hits UK radio and hosts the official Love Island podcast, The Morning After.
When asked if ADHD has negatively impacted his career, Sam replied, “Fortunately not because I love what I do.
“ADHD is a blessing and a curse, but it’s the hyperfocus to eliminate it, when I get hyperfocused on something I like, I love it, I love this industry.”
“I am very lucky that it only hit me in a good way. Hosting is about charisma and making people feel comfortable and the more professional comes second and so it helped my career.’
In his new TV series, after being diagnosed with ADHD, Sam decided to try some drugs to help him focus and so took a low dose of a drug called Elvanse.
Despite the TV personality feeling “slower and not in a bad way” because of this, he struggled with some side effects, such as not being able to sleep and loss of appetite.
Sam decided to stop taking the drug, but after his diagnosis he is a lot “more self-aware” and takes a breather when he has “a moment that really helps.”
Likeable: Sam has made a successful career by being a likeable and funny person on TV and social media
Struggle: For much of his life, Sam thought there was something different about him and people often pointed that out
The reality star also uses other coping mechanisms such as therapists, behaviorists and “about 1,000 fidget spinners.”
He explained, “Knowing is the most important thing for me rather than the medication. Knowing I have something that changes my mental state.
“Now if I ever feel overwhelmed, I now know it won’t last. It’s a big part of the power, it doesn’t change anything, but it calms me down a little bit.”
He was able to go private with his assessment for ADHD, something not everyone can afford as it can cost thousands of pounds, and he acknowledges this, insisting it “definitely needs to change.”
Sam Thompson: Is this ADHD? is on Monday, May 8 at 9 p.m. on E4 and All 4