Heston Blumenthal has been diagnosed as bipolar.
Heston Blumenthal has been diagnosed as bipolar
The celebrity chef, 57, whose TV shows range from ‘Crazy Delicious’ to ‘Masterchef Australia’ revealed his disorder as he called for a change in attitudes to neurodiversity in workplaces.
Heston, married to 36-year-old entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson – told the Metro: “My most artistic, innovative and exciting work is because I am neurodivergent, which I describe as my superpower.
“The world needs to move on from outdated and archaic misinterpretations of perceived difference, and embrace the opportunities neurodiversity presents.”
Heston said he was diagnosed as bipolar in recent months, after previously receiving a positive assessment in 2017 for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
He runs restaurants including the three Michelin-star Fat Duck, two Michelin-star Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Michelin-starred Hind’s Head, and the Perfectionists’ Café, and is now campaigning for more to be done to welcome neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, who he says are “woefully underrepresented” in employment.
He added: “These are individuals who may have exceptional skills and unparalleled abilities yet because of traditional ways of working, we are missing out on the brilliance they can bring to UK business.
“I hope that being open about my own mental health will raise awareness of the issue and I want to campaign to highlight the contribution neurodiversity can make to the workplace.”
Heston has commissioned research that found more than one in 10 people (11%) surveyed have been officially diagnosed as neurodivergent.
Around 21% of these were neither in full nor part-time paid employment, and his study found 47% of UK adults with a neurodiverse condition believe this has made it harder to find a job.
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