MARRIED at First Sight star Nathan Campbell’s behaviour has certainly got viewers talking, not least calling his mum-in-law’s cooking ‘awful’.
But the 24-year-old has long been misunderstood and has spoken of being called a “horrible, horrible boy” by a teacher.
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Four weeks ago, the show’s youngest groom tied the knot with his new bride and complete stranger, Lacey Martin, 27.
After an awkward encounter in which he mistook Lacey’s sister as the bride, Nathan caused further bewilderment at the couple’s honeymoon in The Gambia.
Lacey was left unimpressed when, after talking about a car accident she had when she was younger in which she lost two close friends, Nathan simply nodded and replied: ‘Cool’.
The ‘blundering’ scene left some fans fuming, mistakenly thinking he didn’t care.
But for Nathan, an engineer who lives in Frome, Somerset, the presumption he ‘doesn’t care’ is one he has carried through his life due to his condition ADHD.
While the condition is stereotypically known for causing hyperactivity, other symptoms that affect daily life include difficulty focusing and listening, as well as being organised and regulating emotions.
Before he was diagnosed at the age of 11, he reveals he’d regularly be sent to detention for not paying attention – leading to one teacher cruelly branding him a ‘horrible little boy’.
“Before my diagnosis, I struggled to write things down and I often daydreamed at school,” he recalls in an exclusive interview with Sun Health.
“Teachers thought I wasn’t paying any attention and I would often be given detention.
“I remember on one occasion the teacher yelling at me I was a ‘horrible boy’ because I had been looking out of the window instead of writing things down.”
But the likeable groom says while an official diagnosis has given him greater clarity as to why he sometimes doesn’t read the room right or may come across as unaware, the last thing he’d ever want to do is make a woman he was dating upset.
On his ‘blundering’ during the honeymoon scene, he explains: “I don’t like to use ADHD as an excuse. I didn’t mean it in a malicious way at all.
“Yes my ADHD may have been a cause during the scene too, but that’s still no excuse. I am not perfect, I do come with my quirks and sometimes I don’t read the room right.
“My filter is a bit different and my social cues can be a little bit off. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. I am incredibly protective of everyone close to me and very loyal.”
Nathan also caused a stir over the dinner table when Lacey’s mum-in-law burst into tears when the groom made a joke about her cooking.
Vegetarian Nathan “bantered” that the chicken fajitas she had whipped up for them “looked like they were from the bottom of the bin” – which didn’t go down well.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
It affects around 2.6 million people in the UK – including 708 million children.
Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more noticeable as a child grows
Most cases are diagnosed between six and 12 years old. Adults can also suffer, but there is less research into this.
ADHD’s exact cause is unclear but is thought to involve genetic mutations that affect a person’s brain function and structure.
Premature babies and those with epilepsy or brain damage are more at risk.
ADHD is also linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourtette’s and epilepsy.
There is no cure.
A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make day-to-day life easier.
It came just after Lacey had been singing Nathan’s praises, telling her family: “Obviously dating someone with ADHD is different but it’s helped me to be more patient and how he feels about me he shows me in actions.
“He makes me a cup of tea, he makes me breakfast in bed when I was feeling unwell and he was asking if I wanted anything.”
My ADHD is like my superpower
Nathan Campbell
Whilst he can’t divulge what happens on MAFS and whether he remains married to Lacey, Nathan says she was nothing but brilliant when he told her about his ADHD shortly after their wedding ceremony.
“Lacey was really great and very cool about it all,” he adds.
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“It was important to let her know I do have ADHD and that if she wanted us to get deep in our conversation to be direct.”
He says he has never once felt sorry for himself that he does have ADHD.
After leaving school at the age of 17 with few academic qualifications, Nathan went to college to study plastering.
It was there he discovered he could easily pick up many different skills.
“My ADHD is like my superpower,” he says. “I realised I could pick up trades very quickly.”
Moving across to engineering, he then quickly rose up the ranks and by the age of 23, he was earning £42k.
“I excelled rapidly,” he adds. “I am really proud and I have achieved some great things with my ADHD. I haven’t let it hold me back in life!”
Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
Nathan Campbell
Nathan goes on to explain that as he has got older, he has a much deeper understanding of himself and rather than hindering him on a day-to-day basis, he thinks it helps him.
He adds: “Now that I’m older, I have a much deeper understanding of myself than when I was younger, which makes navigating through life with ADHD so much easier.
“I always find myself discovering new things about myself along the way.
“One way my ADHD can be beneficial in day-to-day life is through heightened creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
“With my ADHD I can often come up with innovative solutions to problems.
“I can excel in high-energy environments where quick thinking, learning and spontaneity are valued, like in fast-paced jobs or social situations.
“With my ADHD, I have ability to hyper-focus on tasks I’m passionate about which can also lead to a drastic improvement in productivity when working on things I like to do.”
He stresses that never once does he feel the need to explain himself.
“I never really feel the need to over-explain how my brain works,” says Nathan.
“Some people just don’t get it, and that’s fine with me. I’m quite self-aware and understand how my mind functions, so as long as I communicate my thoughts to those I’m close to, that’s what matters most to me.”
‘I have always embraced who I am’
Now the secret he is appearing on MAFS is out in the open, he says he hopes that by talking about his ADHD, will help others.
He reveals that despite some negative comments, he has received hundreds more messages praising him for having the courage to go on a high-profile programme with ADHD.
“Since the first episode aired, I have had hundreds of people with ADHD who have reached out,” he adds.
“It’s been so moving. They told me it was cool to have an accurate representation of someone who is neurodivergent and they admired me for putting myself on the show. That means a lot to me.”
He also stresses he refuses to read any negative comments by trolls about his behaviour on the show.
“I don’t read the comments,” he admits. “Haters are going to hate – it comes with the territory. But I take everything with a pinch of salt.
“I am glad what was shown was shown as it creates a lot of conversation.
“It never worried me who the experts would put me with as I have always embraced who I am. I give everyone my 100 per cent.
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“When I decided to appear on the programme, I was single and I thought ‘why not?’ It’s not every day you get the chance to meet someone who is scientifically matched to you.”
‘Perfect is boring’
Nathan – who prior to MAFS had a five-year relationship with a woman – says he has never shied away from his ADHD on dates either.
He explains: “I am very old-fashioned when it comes to dating.
“My previous girlfriend was also totally cool about it all and on dates after we broke up, I’d always tell them about my quirks.
“Some women told me, ‘Oh wow I have always wanted to date someone with ADHD’ when I talked about myself.
“I didn’t mind though as I do think I am fun to date! Yes I may not be able to talk in-depth, but I always like having fun and keeping busy.”
Happy to be on MAFS and looking forward to seeing what the future holds, Nathan hopes viewers who are neurodivergent watching the programme will be inspired not to hide their true selves.
“Perfect is boring,” declares Nathan. “Why fit in when you are born to stand out?”
Married at First Sight airs on E4 Monday to Thursday at 9pm.
