It took me a while to feel any love for Channel 4’s Gogglebox.
Just another bunch of show-offs desperate for a pay cheque was what I initially thought.
However, now, alongside the rest of its millions of viewers, I count myself as a diehard fan.
I am addicted to the TV couch-potato favourite and was beside myself when the master of unintended mirth, himself, AKA Happy Mondays lead man, Shaun Ryder, was recruited for the celebrity version of the show, alongside Bez, the band’s dancer and maraca man.
The two of them, in their seemingly permanently hungover state, with their often clouded knowledge, behaving like lads rather than dads, have become a must-see in our house.
I recall in their 90s heyday interviewing them, or rather trying to extract just one sensible sentence from them, at least.
I didn’t know what they were on, but I had a hunch it was something more interesting than a nice cup of tea.
They were random, to say the least, and didn’t really seem to know why I was there, never mind that I was accompanied by a Sky News (where I worked at the time)
camera crew.
It was memorable, it was all over the place. It was brilliant telly, a must-see.
What I didn’t realise until I read Thursday’s Daily Mirror, was that Shaun has got severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), which makes learning, and often life, difficult.
You can say that again. Someone close to me has ADD (attention deficit disorder) and the ignorance surrounding the condition makes it harder to deal with than it already is.
ADHD, in particular, with its long list of symptoms, such as, not being able to sit still, especially in quiet places, fidgeting, not being able to take in certain information, unable to concentrate on tasks, acting without thinking, being unable to take turns, or to queue, is often perceived as bad behaviour.
And in schools that are ignorant of the difficulties affected people have to contend with, it commands a punishment rather than any understanding, and can significantly affect learning.
If a pupil complained of a sore throat, they’d receive attention from the school nurse, meanwhile the poor souls afflicted with a range of difficult ADD/ADHD symptoms, are often punished for it, thereby making a bad situation even worse.
So next time you watch Shaun on Gogglebox, get off your sofa/couch/settee, stand up and applaud him.
He, and others who live with ADD/ADHD have been misunderstood for long enough already.
