‘It explains why drugs made me feel normal’: Shaun Ryder on ADHD diagnosis

Published

3 years ago

August 3, 2021

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Shaun Ryder is talking TV. As one of Gogglebox’s resident celebrity armchair critics, alongside partner in crime Bez, he’s happy commentating on the small screen.

The X Factor (RIP) had its place for family viewing, he reckons – it’s good if you “sound like Frank Sinatra and can do a dance”, although he knows Happy Mondays “wouldn’t have made it through auditions” – but he has no patience for Love Island: “I can’t watch a load of adults with minds of babies.”

Ryder also keeps up with the news, especially in the 18 months since COVID-19 first hit. “The problem is, though, I don’t retain stuff, like that’s just on and done, so I’ve got to be constantly told what’s going on. Otherwise, it’s just gone.”

At 58, Ryder now, finally, has discovered the reason for his short attention span, previously blamed on his well-documented years of excess as the Madchester era’s most recognisable party animal. He was diagnosed with ADHD earlier this year, which was “like a light bulb going on” in his brain.

“It explains everything,” he says in that unmistakable Mancunian accent. “I went and got tested because out of my four daughters I had two that had [been] diagnosed with ADHD. My youngest girl was finding difficulty with the education side of things and everything. And then I went and got tested and it’s all come from me.

“But as soon as I got the result… one, it told me why my life’s been so chaotic, you know, why I didn’t learn the alphabet till I was 28 years old. Why I find things like just paying bills difficult and lots of other stuff… why as a young man, a young kid, you know, when I took drugs, I felt normal. I didn’t feel like my underpants was on back to front, you know? I felt like I was in my own skin.”

ADHD is not the only diagnosis Ryder has received recently, having caught COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. He thinks he is suffering from long COVID, although it is getting better. “I’d be guaranteed once or twice a week I’d go completely under and have to go to bed, but over the months and months now that’s got less and less,” he says. “I’ve not had another episode for quite a few months now but I do still get one every now and then I’ll just end up floored.”

He pauses before adding: “I could breathe, though. Main thing with me is I’ve got a fixation about breathing, so as long as I could breathe, it was all right… yeah, it’s not a good idea not to breathe, is it?”

Ryder has also had to deal with his hair falling out, the result of a change in his treatment for an underactive thyroid a few years ago. Now, it looks like it’s starting to grow back. “No, that’s a tattoo!” he says. “That’s called skin pigmentation, that, so are my eyebrows, same thing.”

The doctor told him the reason for losing his hair was stress, he says. “But to me, I’ve been the least stressful in the whole of my life.”

He certainly seems content, and has long extolled the virtues of clean living after his years of taking heroin and other drugs. He is still working with the Happy Mondays and his second band, Black Grape, and is also just about to release a solo album, Visits From Future Technology, which comes almost 20 years after his first, Amateur Night In The Big Top, which was released in 2003.

The songs on this album were actually written years ago, before he reinvented himself in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Jungle in 2010, and then put on the shelf while he continued to build on the nation’s newfound appreciation. During lockdown they were discovered “down the back of a sofa” and he decided to do something with them. Did he have to rewrite much to bring them up to date?

Not really, he says. “I mean, I’m always writing about the same old crap. I write about the same stuff I did back in ’88, which is like anything, madness, what I see on television, or conversations with people, or escapades that Bez gets up to and, you know, all the same stuff that I’ve wrote about for years, really. Nothing really changes in my mind. I’ve got about a million things going on at once, they all get to come out in songs.”

Fittingly, the first single is called Mumbo Jumbo. There’s also a track called Popstars Daughters, which is a tongue in cheek warning, he says. “A long time ago when I was a good looking young pop star – I could have been called a pop star, I don’t suppose now – but I’ve got four daughters, and I’ve also dated a couple of pop stars’ daughters, so… the song really I wrote for my girls is a bit of a tongue in cheek sort of thing.”

As well as his solo work, he’s also been collaborating with artists including Noel Gallagher and Robbie Williams during lockdown, which “kept me busy”. He’s enjoyed his time at home, though.

“I know people have had a really bad time and people [have been] locked up on the 24th floor of the tower blocks and that, but I had an all right, er, lock up… what was it called again, when we all stopped doing it? Lockdown, yeah! I had a pretty all right lockdown. I haven’t spent that amount of time at home in the last 25 years. I got to spend a lot of time with the wife and the kids and the family.”

But now Ryder, and his family – “they’ve had enough of me now” – are ready for live gigs once again. He has a tour with Black Grape coming up and later plans to tour the solo record; the singer is double jabbed and ready to go, he says.

How does he feel about the idea of vaccine passports potentially being needed for nightclubs and gigs? “Whatever [the government] is gonna do they’ve got to do it quick and it needs doing now, whatever they’re going to do,” he says. “There’s no reason why it’s… if we’re all supposed to be vaccined up and everything then they should be opening up, stop messing about, open everything up.”

He thinks the government’s handling of the pandemic has been “a bit of hit and miss” but “I suppose whatever government would be in power, they wouldn’t have got it right, straight away”.

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On the Matt Hancock affair scandal, he laughs. “Well, what’s new there? It’s always been one law for one lot of people and another law for another lot of people. I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

Ryder has performed two shows already since restrictions lifted, one with Happy Mondays and one with Black Grape, which were great, he says. Some people chose to wear masks, others didn’t. No one was “mithered about anybody else”. He has plans in place for touring and making music over the next few years at least. “I don’t have hobbies,” he says. “I get asked what my hobbies are and my hobby is making music and playing music and being involved.”

The only thing that will stop Ryder, he says, is “doing a Tommy Cooper or whatever”. (Cooper died on stage live on television in 1984). “Look at all the ones that I grew up with, like the Stones and Tom Jones and all those guys, and The Who and Roger Daltrey. I mean, Roger Daltrey is fit as a butcher’s dog. You seen him? If you enjoy what you do you don’t stop, you just do it.”

So that’s the plan for Shaun Ryder, along with Gogglebox and his other ventures, which continue to see him living his best life, reinvented as a national treasure. How does he feel about the term?

“Well, you know…” For just a brief moment he seems lost for words. “It’s better than n**head, isn’t it? So, you know… I can live with it.”

Entertainment

MTV VMAs: Taylor Swift matches Beyonce as most-awarded artist while Katy Perry shocks on stage

Published

8 hours ago

September 12, 2024

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MTV VMAs: Taylor Swift matches Beyonce as most-awarded artist while Katy Perry shocks on stage

Taylor Swift has won seven gongs at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), equalling Beyonce in a career total of 30 and matching her as most-awarded musician in VMAs history.

Swift, who used her platform to urge Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, picked up prizes including video of the year for Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, artist of the year and best collaboration.

While Swift overtook Beyonce as the most decorated solo artist in VMA history, the Single Ladies singer has previously picked up gongs for being in girl group Destiny’s Child, and her collaborations with husband Jay-Z as The Carters.

Beyonce did not win any new awards at this year’s VMAs and was notably shut out of the Country Music Association Awards earlier this week.

Upon receiving her award for video of the year, Swift thanked her boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce, for his support, saying: “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.”

She also encouraged her fans who are over 18 to register to vote in the upcoming US election, although she avoided directly mentioning her endorsement of vice president Kamala Harris.

On Tuesday, after a presidential debate between Ms Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, Swift endorsed the Democratic candidate on Instagram, writing: “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Swift jokingly signed off her endorsement “childless cat lady” – a move which was followed by Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks shortly after.

Elsewhere, Katy Perry also made VMA history, becoming the first singer to win the Vanguard award – the VMA’s lifetime achievement award – having previously won video of the year and also present the ceremony in previous years.

The stakes were high for the I Kissed A Girl singer after her comeback album – 143 – was panned by fans and critics alike, with the first two singles from the collection sinking without trace.

Perry performed a medley of her biggest songs, including Roar, Teenage Dream and Firework, with her stage show including a risqué performance with rapper Doechii, during which the pair wrapped their legs around each other and lay on the stage.

Accepting her award, which was presented to her by her husband British actor Orlando Boom, Perry said: “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade-long accidents.”

Bloom and Perry shared an on-stage kiss after the singer accepted the award, with Perry thanking him “for keeping me grounded”.

She also paid tribute to their four-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove, saying: “Lastly, for my Daisy, the only flowers I’ll ever need.”

Elsewhere, Sabrina Carpenter picked up song of the year for Espresso, while Good Luck, Babe singer Chappell Roan was named best new artist and Blackpink’s LISA won the best K-pop award.

Carpenter wore the same silver sequined Bob Mackie gown that Madonna wore to the 1991 Academy Awards, and surprisingly kissed an alien during her performance of a medley of her hits which included Please Please Please, Taste and Espresso.

Meanwhile, Roan channelled Joan of Arc for her medieval performance of Good Luck, Babe – a summer hit that has made her a break-out star.

Roan – who last month sparked a conversation about boundaries after posting videos online urging fans to stop “harassing her” – had recently faced push-back after cancelling two European shows to play the VMAs.

Eminem won prizes for best hip-hop video and best visual effects, making him the solo male artist with the most wins with a total haul of 14 gongs.

He performed his two latest singles, Houdini and Somebody Save Me, entering the stage with dozens of dancers all sporting bleach blonde wigs.

It was a nod to his 2000 VMA performance of The Real Slim Shady, where he sang at the ceremony in front of hundreds of extras dressed just like him.

The 2024 MTV VMAs will be screened in the UK on MTV and Paramount Plus at 8pm on Thursday 12 September

Entertainment

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner divorce finalised – as judge declares marriage ‘irretrievably broken’

Published

1 day ago

September 11, 2024

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Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner divorce finalised - as judge declares marriage 'irretrievably broken'

The divorce between Jonas Brothers singer Joe Jonas and his estranged wife Sophie Turner has been approved, five years after the pair got married.

Florida judge Gina Beovides also signed off a confidential settlement over splitting assets, spousal support and custody of their two daughters, four-year-old Willa and two-year-old Delphine.

She declared the marriage “irretrievably broken” between Jonas, 35, and British-born actress Turner, 28, who is best known for her roles in Game Of Thrones and X-Men.

Finalising the terms of the divorce, the judge said the couple’s agreement, especially their parenting plan, was in the best interest of the family.

The split brings a relatively quick end to a divorce, filed a year ago, which briefly became acrimonious and looked headed for a long and ugly custody fight.

The couple met through Instagram, began dating in 2016, and married in a secretive ceremony in a Las Vegas wedding chapel in May 2019.

In September 2023, Jonas filed for divorce, a day later the pair posted messages on Instagram reading: “After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage.”

The joint statement added: “There are many speculative narratives as to why, but truly this is a united decision.”

In the same month, court documents revealed Turner claimed the breakdown of their marriage happened “very suddenly” after an argument.

She said she learned about their split “through the media”, although Jonas said they had several conversations about it.

The couple had initially been caught up in a custody dispute over their daughters, who were born in the US but have dual citizenship.

Turner sued Jonas over access to the girls’ passports so they could join her in her England, but the custody battle was dropped in January, a sign the pair were on a path to a settlement.

Court documents reveal the pair also had a pre-nuptial agreement.

Turner, who is from Northampton, played Sansa Stark for eight seasons on HBO‘s Game Of Thrones and then Jean Grey in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix.

Jonas, who was born in Arizona, found fame with brothers Nick and Kevin with their band, Jonas Brothers, and also had a reality TV series.

The group saw chart success in the UK with their single Sucker in 2019, and also from their albums Happiness Begins and 2023 release, The Album.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift endorses ‘gifted leader’ Kamala Harris minutes after Donald Trump debate

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2024

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Taylor Swift endorses 'gifted leader' Kamala Harris minutes after Donald Trump debate

Taylor Swift has said she will vote for Kamala Harris in the US election, giving her endorsement just minutes after the debate with Donald Trump ended.

The Instagram post showed her holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance‘s childless cat lady” comments.

Follow the latest on the Trump v Harris debate reaction here

Swift urged her 283 million followers to “do your research,” but said AI-generated images of her supporting Mr Trump made her realise “I need to be very transparent about my actual plans”.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she said. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.

“I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

‘Massive star’ endorsement could be ‘huge’

Sky News US correspondent James Matthews said after her post that Swift’s endorsement is “huge” for the Harris-Walz campaign.

“She is a massive star, huge,” he said. “She speaks to people in a way that politicians do not, and the message from Taylor Swift will resonate with a huge audience far beyond the kind of people watching what has gone on here.

“The timing will not have been an accident. Tonight, the headline is Taylor Swift. Tomorrow, all the talk is going to be about Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift and the momentum that will be behind her.”

It marks the first time Swift has spoken on the 2024 election. While the Style hitmaker did endorse Joe Biden in 2020, she did so only a month before election day.

However, despite her worldwide fame and popularity even Taylor Swift cannot escape the vicissitudes of American politics. The number of people following her on social media fell following her post.