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Matt Lucas has spoken publicly for the first time about a diagnosis he has previously kept to himself.
The comedian and actor, 52, shared the news during a conversation with Romesh Ranganathan on BBC Radio 2 as the pair discussed balancing busy periods of work with time alone.
Lucas explained that he enjoys being around people but also values having periods of solitude, particularly while working a demanding theatre schedule.
‘I’ve never, ever spoken about this publicly, but I’m autistic,’ he revealed.
‘So I enjoy periods of being very sociable, like you are in the theatre, and then I also enjoy those periods of solitude where I can just write on my own.’
Ranganathan then asked whether Lucas felt he needed time to ‘recharge’ between the two.
‘Yeah, and so on my days off, you know you do theatre six days a week, apart from resting and resting my voice and all of that, I like not to see people and give them a break from me,’ Lucas replied.
‘But just to have that recharge time is quite important to me.’
Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which can affect how people communicate and interact with others, as well as how they experience the world around them.
It is a spectrum, meaning autistic people can have very different characteristics and support needs.
Lucas made the revelation as he prepares to return to the West End, where he will take on the role of Fagin in Oliver! for six weeks from September 22.
If you are an autistic adult, signs may be similar to the signs of autism in children.
You may have learned to adapt so that signs of autism are not always noticeable.
This is called masking and can make everyday activities and social interactions feel exhausting and stressful.
