On July 13th, 2025, I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed by the brilliant Kev Castle on Nottingham Hospital Radio. We sat down to chat about my book, When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Cat: Surviving the Education System with Asperger’s, but as things go, the conversation took some wonderfully unexpected turns.
From ADHD and support strategies to oppression and even a cheeky bit of politics, nothing was off the table. Kev asked some fantastic questions that really made me stop, reflect, and dig deep—not just about my experiences, but also about what needs to change in the way we understand and support neurodivergent people. I had to think about how to answer his questions in a way that was appropriate for the radio, encouraging and positive for listeners, and was not so political that I got cancelled. Ha.
And then there was the music! I got to share five of my favourite songs with the listeners—each one packed with memories, emotion, or a bit of humour (I’m looking at you, The Laughing Gnome 😄).
🎵 My top five picks were:
- Return to Sender – Elvis Presley
- Something Inside So Strong – Labi Siffre
- The Laughing Gnome – David Bowie
- How You Remind Me – Nickelback
- Points of Authority (Chester Bennington) – Linkin Park
It was such a joy to explore the themes of the book in a relaxed and honest way, and to be welcomed so warmly by Kev and the team. If you’re curious about the interview or want to hear my musical choices, you can catch the full episode here:
👉 Listen now
Thank you, Kev, for being such a wonderful and thoughtful host and giving me the space to talk about everything and anything.
Who says Autistic people can’t communicate? lol 🤣