Melanie Sykes has revealed that she has been diagnosed with autism. The 51-year-old TV presenter took to Instagram with a video to share the news, as she explained that her diagnosis has been 'life-changing'.
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"This week has been truly life-changing. Or rather, life affirming," she said. "As many of you may or may not know, I was diagnosed with autism late Thursday afternoon. And then, finally, so many things made sense.
WATCH: Melanie Sykes confirms health diagnosis in emotional video
"I cannot begin to tell you the sense of relief this is for me and how much I celebrate this diagnosis. I now have a deeper understanding of myself, my life, and the things I have endured.
"The sensitivities around working in television have come up. I have always struggled with earpieces – what they call ‘talkback’, where you hear what the director says. I have often accidentally responded to the director in my ear, live on air, as I cannot juggle the person I am interviewing and the person in my ear at the same time.
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© Photo: RexMelanie Sykes pictured with ex-husband Daniel Caltagirone at the BAFTAs in 2003
"My memory has always been problematic. And remembering pieces to camera could spin me out, resulting in sleepless nights beforehand. There have been many tears of fear and frustration."
Melanie's son Valentino, 17, also known as Tino, also has the condition, and was diagnosed between the age of two and three.
At the time, Melanie was married to actor Daniel Caltagirone, but they divorced in 2009, after marrying in 2001. When Tino was diagnosed, she said: "That boy is the light of my life. When he was diagnosed he changed my life. I couldn’t be in a marriage that I wasn’t happy in, in order to help him. I had to sort myself out and he helped me get out of the situation that I was in – he was definitely the fuel for the move to do that. Because you and I know when you are unhappy you can’t function as a parent."
Melanie's news comes in the same week that Christine McGuinness confirmed that she has also been diagnosed with autism, while her three children have the condition too.
You can find more information on autism via the NHS and Autism Speaks.
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