In this week's episode of HELLO!'s Second Act podcast, comedian Ronni Ancona opens up about the impact of her surprise ADHD diagnosis, why she refused to celebrate turning 50, sexism in the industry and her 'love, hate' relationship with The Big Impression, the 2000s comedy show that made her a star.
25 years have passed since Ronni Ancona's breakout role in the Bafta award-winning show, where she famously parodied the likes of Victoria Beckham opposite her ex-boyfriend Alistair McGowan. Yet when she looks back at that pivotal time in her life, she confesses it is with a mix of "pain" and pride – listen to her candid chat with Ateh Jewel to find out why…
Midlife ADHD diagnosis
During the episode, Ronni talks for the first time about her life-changing ADHD diagnosis, which she received in her 40s. "I basically had an intervention," she admits. "I had lots of comics, including my great friend Rory Bremner, who had done a documentary about ADHD in 2017, say to me, 'You know what? I did that documentary and I've been thinking, I've got a friend who's got worse ADHD than any of the people… that's you.'
Despite not wanting to be "defined" by the condition, Ronni agreed to see a specialist who confirmed her diagnosis. "I look back at a lot of self-destructive behaviour," she muses. "I don't mean self-harm, alcohol or drugs, but self-sabotage in professional situations. Not fitting in and not knowing, or not being able to cope with masking. I have quite a lot of lost years going 'if only I'd known', but knowledge is power."
Listen to the Second Act podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts and YouTube.
Ronni's new podcast, Hal and Ronni In Pieces, is available now on all streaming platforms.