f you’ve ever had to host or speak at an audience-packed event, you’ll know it’s a tough gig. There’s pressure to be entertaining, engaging, concise, composed – oh, and not dissolve into a teary mess in front of hundreds of people. I once nearly did just that, and I blame actor the Rising Star award at our Women of the Year event, and she decided to give an impromptu, impassioned speech about the pain and pitfalls of growing up with autism and ADHD. Chloé spoke of the relentless bullying she endured as a kid (she attended 10 schools in eight years), and how she’d sit by her bedroom window at night, praying that Peter Pan and Tinkerbell would spirit her away because “I didn’t feel like I belonged on this planet”. Chloé felt ostracised and alone until she eventually found the courage to speak about her experiences online under the pseudonym Princess Aspien, and soon amassed an army of fans across the globe.
