Anne Hegerty and Rita Simons have opened up about coping with autism and OCD on I’m A Celebrity.
In tonight’s show, the celebs got to know one another as they settled into camp on their first week.
The Chase’s Anne spoke to her campmates in Snake Rock revealing after first night nerves: “I’ve started to thinking I think I can sort of see my way ahead.”
She talked about her autism: “It’s also an autistic thing when you’re trying to work out what to do. I have to line up the mirror neurones up in my head and go this, this, this … It doesn’t have to be the same all the time but I actually have to work it out beforehand.”
Rita said in the Bush Telegraph: “I had read about Anne’s autism and of course she’s sitting trying to process all these new surroundings. I get it completely. She’s trying to figure out what the hell she’s doing here and how to move forward and she’s obviously started to get a bit of routine now because she’s happier.”
“It wasn’t until 2003 when I was 45” Anne went on to reveal to the group. “I didn’t raise the autism issue … but if someone else raises it, I make it quite clear that I’m happy to talk about it” she explained in the Bush Telegraph.
Rita continued her conversation. “I know one of the characteristics of a lot of autistic people is not picking up on social cues. You don’t seem to have that. You don’t at all.”
“I hope I don’t. That’s something I worked on as a teenager. I was absolutely useless at it” Anne replied.
Rita added “So is it more a case of you’ve had to go, I should feel like this, so I should act like this because that’s how I’m supposed to react like now.”
“Yeah I’m actually perfectly happy for the rest of you to be building the fire and boiling water but then I just sort of think come on Anne pull your weight” Anne replied.
“That’s what I mean so you do pick up on social cues, definitely” Rita asserted.
Anne told the Bush Telegraph: “I really appreciate how nice and sympathetic they’ve been to me and how supportive they are and it was nice that they said I actually pick up on social cues because I’m never quite sure that I actually do so that was nice to know.”
Meanwhile back in camp, the conversation continued. “It’s interesting. There’s a sense in which something like OCD is almost more interesting” replied Anne, leading Rita to tell her that she had been diagnosed OCD herself.
“How the hell are you doing this” exclaimed Fleur.
“I’m not too bad with cleanliness and all of that” replied Rita. “I don’t do any of the rituals any more. I used to be a real light switcher, tap checker, I’d spend hours doing it. It’s almost the complete opposite of you because yours is all logical and mine is all illogical”
Rita said in the Bush Telegraph “I’m glad she’s opened up about it because then she can say, look I’m just having one of my moments because she’s just got such a lovely nature and I think people don’t realise that because she plays with alter ego that like meaney (as The Governess).
Rita continued to Anne “I don’t think you seem it at all. I wouldn’t know meeting you.”
The Chase star replied “There are things, I mean if you saw my home you’d know there was something very wrong.”
“You’re a hoarder?” asked Rita. “Absolutely and messy. An OCD person would not like my house. It’s just sort of I just get overwhelmed by all the things there are to do, I’m like, I have no idea.” Anne said.
Fleur replied “So you just leave it. You don’t even want to touch it” which Anne agreed with.
Fleur said “I think we’ve made her fell really comfortable with it now. She’s just sharing a bit more, like every day we’re chipping away at that tough Governess exterior and we’re seeing that inside she is the sweetest most humble, just lovely lovely woman inside.”
I’m A Celebrity continues nightly on ITV at 9PM.
