onathan Ross reveals his daughter is on the autistic spectrum but was misdiagnosed as a child

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‘Autism wasn’t talked about in the 90s’: Jonathan Ross reveals his daughter is on the autistic spectrum but was misdiagnosed as a child

By Ellie Phillips For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Jonathan Ross has revealed one of his daughters is on the autistic spectrum, but was misdiagnosed as a child.

The presenter has daughters Holly 22, Betty, 28, and son Harvey, 26, with wife Jane Goldman. 

The broadcaster, 59, discussed what he believed were telltale signs of her disorder, including slower development of speech, ‘fixing’ on things and being ‘very strange about people.’

Misdiagnosed: Jonathan Ross, 59, has revealed that he believes one of his daughters – either Holly 22, or Betty, 28 – has ‘a level of autism’ but was misdiagnosed as a child

Speaking on the Lockdown Parenting Hell podcast, Jonathan said: ‘One of my children I’m pretty sure has a level of autism.

‘She was very late to talk and she fixed on certain things, and she was very strange about people.

‘We took her to be assessed but not for that, [and] because this was early 90s and when that stuff wasn’t really talked about as much.

‘But now we showed someone the medical report and they said, “yes, now she would absolutely be diagnosed as autistic”, but back then she wasn’t.’ 

Daughters: The father-of-three has two grown-up daughters, plus-size Instagrammer Holly [right] and biology graduate Betty [left] as well as a son Harvey, 26

Daughters: The father-of-three has two grown-up daughters, plus-size Instagrammer Holly [right] and biology graduate Betty [left] as well as a son Harvey, 26

Mystery: It's not known which daughter Jonathan was referring to [pictured with their brother in a childhood shot]

Mystery: It’s not known which daughter Jonathan was referring to [pictured with their brother in a childhood shot]

The father-of-three has two grown-up daughters, plus-size Instagrammer Holly 22, and biology graduate Betty, 28, as well as a son Harvey, 26.

THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with autism have trouble with social, emotional and communication skills that usually develop before the age of three and last throughout a person’s life. 

Specific signs of autism include: 

  • Reactions to smell, taste, look, feel or sound are unusual
  • Difficulty adapting to changes in routine
  • Unable to repeat or echo what is said to them
  • Difficulty expressing desires using words or motions
  • Unable to discuss their own feelings or other people’s
  • Difficulty with acts of affection like hugging
  • Prefer to be alone and avoid eye contact
  • Difficulty relating to other people
  • Unable to point at objects or look at objects when others point to them

It is not known which daughter he was referring to in the podcast interview. 

Appearing on Loose Women earlier this month, he admitted social distancing has had a paradoxical effect on his relationship with his children because he sees them more than ever, despite all three living away from home. 

Speaking from the home he shares with wife Jane, he told the panel: ‘I see them more than I need to to be honest.

‘I’m online all the time. We’re probably, in a way, as a family, spending more time together than not actually being physically together than ever before. 

‘I know my wife misses the physical contact – she really wants to hug them, she misses that side of it all, but I think overall we just count our blessings.

‘None of them are sick, they’re all kind of OK and they’re all with someone.’ 

He added: ‘My son is with his girlfriend, they’ve lived together for years. My daughter, my eldest one’s with her girlfriend, they don’t live together but they’ve been together for years. 

‘And my youngest daughter, she’s not in a relationship but she’s with her flatmate and they’ve got their cat and they’re perfectly happy.

‘So they’ve all got company, and none of them have this dreadful illness so we all feel very blessed.’ 

Telltale signs? 'One of my children I'm pretty sure has a level of autism. She was very late to talk and she fixed on certain things, and she was very strange about people' said Jonathan

Telltale signs? ‘One of my children I’m pretty sure has a level of autism. She was very late to talk and she fixed on certain things, and she was very strange about people’ said Jonathan 

Second opinion: 'But now we showed someone the medical report and they said, "yes, now she would absolutely be diagnosed as autistic", but back then she wasn't' revealed the TV star

Second opinion: ‘But now we showed someone the medical report and they said, “yes, now she would absolutely be diagnosed as autistic”, but back then she wasn’t’ revealed the TV star