Love Island star and author Dr Alex George says being diagnosed with ADHD and OCD has “completely changed my life”.

The former A&E doctor, who grew up in Carmarthenshire but now lives in London, is calling for improved waiting times for assessments after revealing he paid thousands of pounds for private ADHD and autism tests.

In his new book, George describes the process of getting diagnosed and says the symptoms of his conditions have been apparent since childhood.

“I was being blamed for things in school, even though I wasn’t in attendance that day,” George told BBC News. “I wasn’t nasty or naughty, I was just exploring the world in my own way.”

George was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30 in 2022, before receiving an OCD diagnosis in October 2025. He said he also paid privately for an autism assessment.

He said having no formal diagnosis as a child meant that he struggled throughout school, and recalled how his mum was told by teachers that his family should “lower [their] expectations of Alex”.

George said an earlier diagnosis of both conditions would have “completely changed my life”.

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George first found fame as a contestant on the 2018 series of Love Island

“There’s so much suffering that I have endured that I would not have endured if I’d been diagnosed when I was younger,” said George.

“I could’ve harnessed my superpowers so much younger. I’m incredibly creative, when I focus on things there’s no stopping me.

“The difference between surviving or not, and thriving, would’ve been that diagnosis and it’s something that’s so fixable.”

George said that his youngest brother Llŷr, who took his own life in 2020, was also neurodivergent.

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George said he paid £3,000 to access private assessments for ADHD and autism due to NHS waiting lists.

“That’s a painful amount of money to spend, but I am fortunate that I can afford that,” he said.

In England, 236,225 people were waiting for an autism assessment as of June 2025, according to the National Autistic Society, while some adults face an eight-year wait to access NHS ADHD services.

In Wales, there were 16,812 children and young people in Wales waiting for an ADHD or autism neurodevelopment assessment as of 2023, according to Senedd research.

“There are so many barriers to access, and the waiting lists are unacceptable,” said George.

“The question is, are we going to accept that, and what are we going to do to change it?”

The National Autistic Society says some people opt to pay privately for diagnoses due to shorter waiting times, but the charity says some experience difficulties having their non-NHS diagnosis accepted by local authorities and NHS health services. It advises people to check whether a non-NHS diagnosis will be accepted in their local area before going ahead with a private assessment.

Similar concerns have also been raised about private ADHD diagnoses, with the charity ADHD Aware saying that whilst some GPs will recognise a private diagnosis, others will not.

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An independent review into the rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism treatment was launched by Wes Streeting in December 2025

UK health secretary Wes Streeting has launched an independent review into rising ADHD, autism, and mental health demand in England, including whether there is evidence of over-diagnosis, but George said these conditions were actually under-diagnosed.

“When we say things like we want to look into the over-diagnosis of something, it implies that there is an over-diagnosis,” he said.

“The absolute fact of the matter is that it’s categorically incorrect.

“What I want to see the government do is focus on how we improve waiting times for assessment, improve the support of SEN [special educational needs] services in schools and create an environment where you’re not ‘othered’ when you’re diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD or many other neurodivergent conditions.”

The UK government has been approached for comment. In December, it said it was investing in expanding services.

Last year, the Welsh government announced a further £13.7 million to improve neurodivergence services and reduce waiting times for autism and ADHD assessments.

A spokesperson for the Welsh government added: “We recognise the growing need for timely and accurate diagnosis and support for neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD.

“We have already taken steps to address these challenges through our Neurodivergence Improvement Programme, with a current focus on reducing waiting times for children’s assessments.”

Olivia Spencer

George said an earlier diagnosis would have allowed him to “harness his superpowers” sooner

George said he “accidently” started writing his latest book “Am I Normal?” when he began answering questions as part of the assessment process for his ADHD diagnosis three years ago.

“I was trying to figure out is it me or is it the world? Am I normal?

“Literally that was the question I was asking myself so I sat down with my journal and just started writing these questions down.”

He added: “It’s very much a reflection of my own life through these questions.”

While the book is written from his perspective of living with ADHD and OCD, George also tackles topics like alcohol, grief and loneliness.

“The book is actually written for anyone that has asked themselves, am I normal?

“These are universal experiences, and it challenges a lot of the norms in society that effects everyone.”