In a candid and revealing interview, beloved Australian comedian and television host Julia Morris has shared the profound impact of receiving an ADHD diagnosis in her mid-fifties. The star, a fixture on screens for over three decades, describes the discovery as having finally fitted the pieces of her lifelong puzzle together.
From Household Name to Self-Discovery
Morris first burst onto the national consciousness as a teenager on New Faces and became a household name through the 1990s on shows like Full Frontal. Her career skyrocketed with success in London, winning awards like the Herald Angel at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Back in Australia, her roles have ranged from winning Celebrity Apprentice in 2011 to starring in House Husbands and hosting I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! since 2015.
Speaking ahead of the new season of the jungle-based reality show, which premieres on Sunday, January 18, at 7pm on Channel 10, Morris is effusive about her co-host, Robert Irwin. She praises his authenticity and global experience, noting the Irwin family's long-standing popularity in the United States.
She explains the show's enduring appeal lies in its changing dynamics and focus on community rather than conflict. "It's about how we pull together as a community," Morris says, referencing a producers' idea for a men-versus-women format that she initially opposed but which ultimately sparked important conversations about gender roles at home.
The 'Life-Changing' ADHD Diagnosis
The most transformative revelation for Morris came in July 2024, when at the age of 56, she was formally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The diagnosis was not something she actively sought but emerged while researching the condition for her two daughters.
"The medication has been life-changing," Morris states unequivocally. "It's taken me from a person who would lie in bed and make plans about what I was going to do and then not do it, to a person who doesn't have time to lie in bed, because I've got to go and do it."
She highlights the genetic link, noting that if a child has ADHD, it's likely one parent does too. Morris criticises the historical oversight of ADHD in women, where hyperactivity manifests mentally rather than physically. "We were always told, in no uncertain terms, that women cannot get ADHD, only men," she says, pointing out that her old school reports read like a checklist for the condition.
Morris is acutely aware of her privilege in affording the costly diagnosis process, which she estimates at around two thousand dollars, a barrier for many Australians. Now, armed with understanding, she can better support her daughters and herself, building "roadblock brakes" to prevent overwhelm.
Unapologetically Herself: On Planes and 'Full Karen' Moments
True to her outspoken nature, Morris also delves into a recent incident on a flight that led her to "go full Karen." Travelling with her daughters, she confronted a male passenger who made repeated creepy comments to the teenage girls about crawling over him while he slept.
"Why do we have to be so close to the person next to us that we can feel their skin? Yuck!" she exclaims, advocating for more personal space and respect. The experience solidified her view on the need for better boundaries and safety for women during travel.
Now happily single after ending her 16-year marriage in 2022, Morris declares she has never felt better. "The queen needs her chamber," she jokes, enjoying a peaceful home with her daughters and her cavoodle, Ken.
By sharing her personal health journey, from skin cancer awareness to now ADHD, Julia Morris continues to use her platform to destigmatise and educate, proving that understanding oneself is a revelation that can arrive at any age.
