Former real housewife Tanya Bardsley reckons Jacques O'Neill “needs somebody to help him” with his ADHD after rising to fame.
The ex- Real Housewives of Cheshire star, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder herself, says he “should just own it”.
Viewers fumed at the former rugby player as he came under fire following his antics in Casa Amor and his treatment of Paige Thorne.
But mum-of-four Tanya says Jacques “probably didn’t think things through” and that his condition is “not really an excuse”.
Speaking to the Mirror from Spain, she discussed how ADHD has affected her family as she revealed the release date of her new documentary.
Talking of Jacques’ ADHD, she said: “I just think he needs somebody to help him with it. Because you do do things impulsively.
“Basically, in the brain you think it and then neurotypicals will maybe think ‘oh maybe that’s not a good idea’ but we don’t have that.
“So whatever comes into our head we do it, so sometimes people [with ADHD] make bad decisions.”
Jacques’ family revealed his diagnosis after the Islander came under fire on the hit-ITV show.
“Jacques was diagnosed with ADHD when he was nine-years-old,” they said in a statement.
“By no means is this a get out clause for his actions but it is to show that he can fundamentally struggle with his emotions at times.”
Tanya says that he will find the condition a lot more manageable as he gets older and that ADHD is “not really an excuse” for his actions.
“He probably didn’t think things through,” she added. “But I think people like him in the public eye should just really own it.
“ADHD can be a super power if you learn how to manage it properly, but it can also take you to some bad places as well.
“But I think Jacques is owning it now and it will probably help a lot of people who do have it.
“It comes out differently in boys than girls, so we’re more anxious and restless, and boys are more physical, running around and it can be a f***ing nightmare to be honest.”
Tanya’s new documentary ‘Tanya Barsley: Me and ADHD’ is coming out on ITV in October.
“It follows my family life and how Phil, my husband, puts up with me,” she added.
“Also one of my children has got ADHD so it’s showing that concept – it’s a lot in our house.”
Tanya's sit-down with the Mirror comes as we can exclusively reveal her recent celebrity perfume release was in fact a charity campaign.
She sparked ridicule after launching a ‘new personal fragrance’ brand with a rather unflattering brand name... ‘dog’, well the French word – Chien.
Rather than jumping on the celebrity fragrance bandwagon, the stunt was actually for a very important cause - Search Dog Heroes.
It is run in partnership by Missing People and Lowland Rescue, made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery with an award of £1million from its Dream Fund.
The Search Dog Heroes project focuses particularly on families or carers of those living with dementia, learning disabilities or mental health problems – people more likely to be reported missing and most at risk whilst away.
Family members or carers of a vulnerable person are encouraged to capture their scent in case the worst could happen using this guide on the Missing People website.
Outside of the project, People’s Postcode Lottery is one of Missing People’s most supportive funders, having raised over £8.6 million for the charity since 2009.
Tanya said: “I was delighted to show my support for Search Dog Heroes by sending up myself and the serious world of celebrity scents.
“I hope that Chien can raise the profile of these amazing pups and the work they will do for these inspirational charities”.
Joseph Ray, Social Investment and Innovation Advisor at People's Postcode Lottery, said: "I'm delighted money raised by our players Is supporting Search Dog Heroes, which means missing vulnerable people can be found quickly and brought back home to loved ones safely.
"Collecting and storing personal scent for vulnerable individuals is so important - despite all the technology and innovation in the world there is no device more effective in helping to find a missing person than a dog’s nose."
Missing People’s Director of Policy and Development Susannah Drury said: “Thanks to Tanya, we’ve brought the importance of personal scent to so many people’s attention.
“However, these dogs need specialist training, and we are immensely grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for providing the support and funding to help us find vulnerable missing people.”
For more information, visit: www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help/help-services/search-dog-heroes
