Martine McCutcheon has opened up on her ADD diagnosis (Image: WILL_IRELAND) Martine McCutcheon, famed for her roles in Love Actually and EastEnders, has opened up about being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The actress, 48, revealed that she ‘cried’ and ‘grieved’ after the diagnosis last year, thinking back to how her life could have been different. While appearing on the new podcast, A Gentle Start: The Showercast by Timotei, released on Thursday, 24 October, Martine spoke about ADD. In an honest confession, Martine shared: “I cried and cried, I grieved and it was just for ‘if only I’d know how different things could have been’… because I do look back and see a lot of struggle with what I did.”
‘I do look back and see a lot of struggle with what I did’
(Image: WILL_IRELAND)
The actress, best known for her role as Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders from 1994 until 1998, has also been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [CFS], Fibromyalgia, and Lyme Disease, which cause severe pain and tiredness. Last year, Martine suffered a flare-up so intense that it necessitated hospital treatment, causing her to miss her husband Jack McManus’ birthday celebrations. Fortunately, the beloved TV star bounced back and was later spotted enjoying herself dancing in Majorca during a holiday break from her health struggles. In a chat with the Glasgow Times, she highlighted the progress in medical science and said: “They’re getting more and more answers about the brain and nervous system.” Away from her health struggles, Martine opened up about her time on Love Actually, as the hit romcom movie notoriously makes a comeback for the festive season. On the podcast, Martine shared: “Love Actually felt like a huge impact on my life at the time but little did I know that it would go on and on to spread a message that for me is the most important message of all, and that is the one of love… love is the one thing that we all have in common in some was.”
The actress with her son Rafferty
(Image: Instagram/Martine McCutcheon)
Martine was previously married to Jack McManus
(Image: Getty Images)
Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free When asked what it was like working alongside Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant, she confessed: “I still pinch myself that my ultimate dream came true. I mean, talk about manifesting, I saw Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and A Funeral… my ultimate dream would be to work with Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis… and it happened. God it happened on such a massive scale that here we are decades later.” But away from our screens and the spotlight, Martine is a doting mum to her son Rafferty, whom she shares with her former husband Jack McManus. She was told she wouldn’t be able to have children, so when her son arrived, Martine said it was love like no other. Speaking about motherhood, she shared on the podcast: “I’ve had many highs, and I feel blessed to say that, but I would say the highest of all wasn’t any award or any top #1 song… people standing on their feet applauding you night after night is like a drug… but the thing that topped all of that was holding my son for the first time. “I was told that I wouldn’t ever be able to have children and I always felt that being a mother would be the making of me… and when I held him there was just no love like it”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnEastEndersMartine McCutcheon
