Fresh Meat and Death In Paradise star reveals life changing diagnosis at 39 saying she's in tears and ‘still processing'

The Sun

19-06-2025

A FRESH Meat and Death in Paradise star has revealed her life changing health diagnosis at 39, saying she's in tears and 'still processing.'
Kimberley Nixon famously played Josie in Fresh Meat, who seemed like a very shy Welsh girl, but was actually foul-mouthed and short-tempered.
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Before Fresh Meat, Kimberley had been in films Wild Child and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Since the show she's appeared in Ordinary Lies, Death in Paradise and ITV drama The Salisbury Poisonings.
Now, the 39-year-old actress has revealed she has been clinically diagnosed with Autism and ADHD.
Sharing a collage of photos of herself crying 'happy tears,' in a grey jumper, the star shared her update with fans.
Kimberley wrote: 'Happy tears. Still processing. Haven't read the full report yet but…
'Today I was clinically diagnosed with Autism and ADHD.
'I feel lighter than I have in a long time because instead of feeling like my brain is 'broken', I know now that it was just doing things differently all this time.'
She continued: 'I want to go back in time and give my younger self a cwtch and save her a lot of time and heartache but I can't change anything about how I got here really because then I wouldn't be me.
'I've always shared the ups and downs - so I wanted to share this with the most compassionate and accepting bunch I know - and that's been you lot over these past few years.
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'From the midst of brutal Postnatal OCD through to today's diagnosis, a lot of you have been with me every step of the way. Thank you, thank you.'
Fans rushed to the comments to praise the star for her honest words, as one person wrote: 'Congratulations on the first day of the rest of your life.'
A second penned: 'We hope it brings you some self-compassion and understanding,' and a third echoed: 'Welcomeeeeee 💛 Go gently with yourself as you adjust to a new inner reality! Xx'
What is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.
It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls.
Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people's feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations.
When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead.
They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals.
Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress.
High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder.
The star is a proud mum to a little boy, and also has a dog, both of which she shares occasional photos of on social media.
In a sweet Father's Day post recently, Kimberley praised her partner and posted a carousel of images of him with their adorable son.
She wrote: 'To the Dads who not only have a newborn but a struggling partner to care for.
'To the Dads that show up ALL the time even if they're knackered or grumpy or even more knackered. To the Dads who care so deeply but show so little.
'To the Dads that really mean it when it's 50/50. Or 60/40 or 70/30 depending what's going on in life.
'To the Dads who hug and kiss their children and leave them in no doubt how loved they are. To the Dads who always stand up for their partner.
'To this Dad, who never looked away even when things got tough. Who always saw straight through to the heart of me when I lost myself and even I couldn't see it. Who loves me and our son unconditionally but that doesn't mean he'll let us get away with stuff.
'Sometimes Dads get left out of the perinatal mental illness conversation. I've found in a lot of instances, they're the silent, sidelined heroes keeping everything together. Remember that there's help and support for Dads too.'
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