Former Emmerdale star Charley Webb has publicly revealed she is undergoing an early-stage neurodiversity assessment, sharing that she has received initial diagnoses for both autism and ADHD.
The 37-year-old actress opened up about this life-changing discovery during an appearance on the Girls Next Door podcast on Thursday, November 22, 2025, explaining how it has provided profound insight into how others perceive her personality.
The Podcast Revelation
Speaking with co-hosts Francesca Allen from Love Island and actress Wallis Day, Webb disclosed the preliminary findings of her assessment. "I'm sort of just been diagnosed with ADHD, then later added autism as well," she told the podcast audience.
Webb was careful to note that she's still in the early phases of the diagnostic process. "I don't want to confirm it because I'm only at the initial stages. Autistic ADHD – I'm like, what? I've just started the process," she explained, confirming she had been consulting with medical professionals about the assessment.
The mother of three, who shares children with her ex-husband Matthew Wolfenden, reflected on the growing awareness around neurodiversity, suggesting "everyone is probably on the spectrum somewhere."
Making Sense of a 'Cold' Personality
Webb revealed that the potential diagnosis helps explain why people have often perceived her as having a cold personality throughout her life.
"It does make a lot of sense for me for things like people thinking that I'm really cold," she shared. "I think that could just be like a little bit of the autistic side of me, if it is true. I've got to do way more investigations. But that doesn't shock me that much."
The actress elaborated on her straightforward approach to social interactions, noting she's "not the biggest smiler" and only expresses genuine emotion. "People fake-smile. People will just smile because they think it's the thing to do, whereas I don't. So I think people just find me a bit cold. But I'm not."
Webb has come to embrace this aspect of her personality as she's grown older, stating "I really own that because I'm like, I don't need to be all over everyone and love everyone immediately."
Understanding Neurodiversity and Next Steps
Webb described her black-and-white thinking patterns, explaining "It does take me a minute and I'm very 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."
She also highlighted specific sensory sensitivities, particularly to noise. "Noise for me – the trigger of noise. I go from nought to 60 in like one second. All those loud noises, if I go somewhere really busy, I find it so overwhelming. So I will be interested to look further into that."
The actress emphasized the importance of people understanding themselves as awareness of conditions like ADHD continues to grow. "Years and years ago, nobody talked about it. There was never a discussion about ADHD or any of that sort of stuff. But now it's like everywhere," she observed.
Webb plans to continue her investigations into neurodiversity, noting the genetic component of these conditions. "It's something that's within you, isn't it? It's something that is genetic. Like ADHD, for instance, one parent would have to have it in order for a child to have it."
Her candid discussion on the podcast represents a significant moment for neurodiversity awareness in the public sphere, helping to destigmatize these conditions through personal storytelling.
