Charley Webb reveals life-changing diagnosis and says she needs to do ‘more investigations’ as she opens up about being in the early stages

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I’m really admiring Charley Webb‘s openness – she’s shared that she’s currently being evaluated for both autism and ADHD, and she still has some tests and appointments ahead of her. It’s brave of her to talk about this, and I’m sending her all my support as she goes through the process.

Former Emmerdale actress, 37, recently appeared on the Girls Next Door podcast with Francesca Allen and Wallis Day. She talked candidly about neurodiversity and explained what it was like to go through the process of being assessed.

While discussing ADHD, she said: ‘I’ve sort of just been diagnosed with that,’

Okay, so I’m still figuring things out, but I’m starting to think… could I be autistic? Or maybe have ADHD? It’s just hit me, and I’m honestly a little overwhelmed. I’ve only just started talking to doctors about it, so it’s super early days, but it feels… right, you know? I’m trying not to jump to conclusions, but I’m completely obsessed with finding out!

It seems like ADHD is being talked about a lot lately, and it’s possible everyone has some traits related to it – it just varies in how strongly those traits show up.

The diagnosis gave Charley insight into parts of herself, like why people sometimes saw her as distant or ‘cold’.

She shared that people sometimes perceive her as cold, and she wonders if that might be related to her autism, if she is indeed autistic. It makes sense to her as a possible explanation.

I still have a lot more to look into, but honestly, that doesn’t surprise me. It’s definitely something to think about. I’m not naturally very smiley; I only smile when I genuinely feel like it. So many people put on fake smiles, though.

I often get the impression that people smile at me out of politeness, not genuine warmth, which probably makes me seem distant. But that’s not really how I am.

I’ve always been aware of this idea, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to accept it: I don’t have to instantly connect with and love everyone I meet.

Charley continued: ‘It does take me a minute and I’m very like, yes or no.

‘I’m so black and white: I like you, I don’t like you. There’s never an in-between with me.’

Charley highlighted how important it is to understand yourself, especially as more people become aware of the condition.

It’s really crucial for people to know who they are. And I’ve noticed that as we get older, self-understanding is becoming increasingly important.

In the past, ADHD wasn’t really discussed. People didn’t talk about it at all.

She explained that it feels like this issue is everywhere now. She emphasized the importance of understanding that, and shared that noise is a major trigger for her, causing her to quickly become overwhelmed – going from calm to intensely reactive in an instant.

I get easily overwhelmed by loud noises and busy places, so I’d like to explore that further.

It’s an innate quality, something people are born with. It often runs in families, similar to conditions like ADHD, where a parent typically has to carry the trait for their child to inherit it.

Charley and her husband, Matthew Wolfenden, surprised fans when they announced their separation in 2023. They had been together for 15 years, married for five.

The actress ended the relationship, and the Daily Mail reported earlier this year on the reasons behind her decision to split from the other Emmerdale star.

When Charley and her partner separated, she had just finished playing Debbie Dingle on the TV show Emmerdale and was starting her first stage tour, performing as Diana Ingram in the play Quiz.

Charley received fantastic feedback on a recent career achievement, which prompted her to reflect on her life and ultimately make a major decision.

According to a source, this was the first time in years the woman felt like her true self – a performer, not just a mother or someone else – while on stage.

Being alone gave her plenty of time to reflect and consider what she truly wanted in life.

Matthew was at the couple’s house in Yorkshire, taking care of their three children – Buster, 15, Bowie, 8, and Ace, 4 – while preparing to travel to London for the stage production of Elf.

He met his current girlfriend, Heather Scott Martin, while working on this project, and their relationship was later believed to be the cause of the breakup.

According to a source close to the situation, Matthew found it very difficult when people mistakenly believed he was responsible for the breakup, especially since he was seen with Heather. He chose to remain quiet initially and only addressed the rumors much later.

After separating, the couple continued living in their home for a year before listing it for sale in January for £900,000.

Meanwhile, Charley moved in with fellow actress and best pal Sheridan Smith.

Sheridan, age 44, has a son named Billy with her previous fiancé, Jamie Horn. She recently ended a relationship with her boyfriend, who is a boxer named Dave Ryan.

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2025-11-21 21:21