She says it is so important for people to understand themselves
Dan Laurie Deputy Editor of Screen Time, Nikki Onafuye and Faye Preston
13:21, 22 Nov 2025Updated 13:22, 22 Nov 2025
(Image: @miss_charleywebb/Instagram)
A former Emmerdale star has opened up about her life-changing diagnosis stressing how it is “so important” for people to understand themselves better.
Charley Webb, 37, shot to fame for her role as Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale between 2002 and 2021. Now the mum-of-three has spoken candidly about a recent diagnosis. She stressed: “It’s so important for people to understand themselves and I think as we’re getting older it’s becoming more of a thing now.”
Speaking on the Girls Next Door podcast, she disclosed she is being assessed for autism and ADHD. Charley said: “I’ve sort of just been diagnosed with that. I don’t want to confirm it because I’m only at the initial stages. More autism – autistic/ADHD.
“I’m like ‘what?’. I’ve just started the process [with doctors].”
Addressing the subject of ADHD, she said: “I think ADHD is such a big subject now and I think everyone is probably on the spectrum somewhere, like, it’s how deep you go into it. But it does make a lot of sense for me, for things like people thinking that I’m really cold.
“I think that could just be like a little bit of the autistic side of me if it is true. I’ve got to do way more investigations but that doesn’t shock me that much. It’s interesting.
“Years and years ago, nobody talked about it. There was never a discussion about ADHD or any of that sort of stuff but now it’s like everywhere. I think it is really important to understand that. And noise for me – the trigger of noise. I go from nought to 60 in like one second. All those loud noises, if I go somewhere really busy, I find it so overwhelming. So I will be interested to look further into that.
“It’s something that’s within you, isn’t it? It’s something that is genetic. Like ADHD, for instance, one parent would have to have it in order for a child to have it,” reports the Mirror.
(Image: ITV/Emmerdale)
According to the NHS website, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition affecting how the brain works compared to most people. If you have ADHD, you may have trouble with things like concentrating and sitting still. There are things you can do to help manage your symptoms.
Earlier this year, Charley and her ex Matthew Wolfenden placed their family home on the market for £900,000. The pair, aged 34 and 44 respectively, had shared the four-bedroom Harrogate property with their three children – Buster, 14, Bowie, nine, and Ace, five – before their unexpected separation.
The property features a generous outdoor summer house set in an expansive back garden with beautiful finishes throughout. Emmerdale’s Charley Webb and Matthew have announced their separation after five years of marriage.
In a heartfelt statement shared with fans, Charley wrote: “It is with love and respect that Matthew and I have decided to separate. We remain friends and our priority is the love for our children. For their sake we would appreciate privacy at this time. C x.”
Matthew echoed her sentiments on his Instagram Story, signing off with “M”.
The couple, who first met on the set of Emmerdale in 2007, tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2018. However, they decided to part ways in November 2023.
Following their split, sources claimed that Charley was ‘hardly at home’ and had ‘moved lots of her stuff out’.
Matthew later appeared on Loose Women, expressing gratitude towards his parents for their support during this difficult time. He said: “Bless my mum and dad, I owe them a holiday after this because they have moved into the house and they are looking after the kids.”
Speculation about the state of their relationship began circulating early in 2023, with fans noticing that Matthew had unfollowed Charley on Instagram before the official announcement of their split.
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