Reviewed as part of the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 2025.
Alex Partridge founded both UniLad and LadBible, two popular news and viral entertainment websites primarily aimed at young adults, in his early 20s, not long before dropping out of university. At 34 he was diagnosed with ADHD, which apparently explained a lot. Now a neurodivergence advocate aiming to spread a message of self-awareness, acceptance and growth, he hosts the podcast ADHD Chatter, where he speaks to experts and celebrities about living with ADHD, and which boasts an impressive 4.9 star rating on Spotify. And he recently released his second book Making ADHD Make Sense: A Guided Journal, which aims to help recently diagnosed people (of which your reviewer is one) and their loved ones navigate their way through coping and managing their lives.
The talk is presented as a conversation between Partridge and host JoJo Silva, although in typical ADHD fashion any answers to questions quickly becomes monologues. It’s not always clear that Silva is relevant to the stream of consciousness, although she does keep the pace going and the information on track. The stories Partridge tell feel well worn and rehearsed, and while they are relatable this preparedness does occasionally veer into feeling a little inauthentic.
The contents of the talk are enlightening however, especially as an audience member at the start of their ADHD journey. There is good discussion of ADHD in the workplace including the oft neglected point that managers can be afflicted as well as lower grade employees. It is also refreshing to hear Partridge reject the ‘ADHD is a superpower’ narrative popular on social media, and he balances well both celebrating the positives with acknowledging the hardships of life with the condition. His explanation of the hidden ADHD Tax – those impulse buys of problem solving notepads, the rerun washing machine of forgotten damp clothing – is especially validating.
Partridge does give some suggestions of techniques to manage life with ADHD, although these are the same basics mentioned everywhere (exercise, sleep and reducing alcohol, working on one’s self-worth, life hacks like buying precut frozen veg etc). While they are common tips because they are indeed helpful, it is a shame that someone who has produced over 100 podcast episodes with so many specialists doesn’t have something beyond the basics to share.
The book he has written sounds helpful – a journaling workbook of bite sized exercises – and a number of the audience at this talk head over to the post-show book signing with a sense of optimism. While your reviewer didn’t personally find that she was overly convinced by the contents, it is clear that for some this was a very helpful hour of education and Partridge must be complimented for his work trying to remove the stigma and encourage the unmasking of those of us who vividly recall every time we were asked “Why can’t you just be normal?”.
Reviewed on Saturday 18 October 2025
