EXCLUSIVE: Adrian Smith is on a mission, to convince traditional TV’s gatekeepers to take a chance on presenters with Tourette’s syndrome. Smith says he is the only TV presenter in the UK who has been diagnosed with Tourette’s, while there are only a handful in the U.S.
, with the crux of his issue lying with commissioners and execs’ lack of education over what the syndrome is and how it manifests. Speaking exclusively to Deadline, he said “the room just goes quiet” when he introduces the idea of helming a TV series to those who hold the greenlight keys. Related Stories News Emmy Diversity: Acting & Hosting Nominees On Par With 2023, Led By Breakthrough For Indigenous Performers News Diversity In TV Down 12% With Hispanic Representation Particularly Low, Samba TV Reports “Commissioners and creators need to unlock doors and realize we are capable of doing things,” he said.
Smith, who presents a branded content show about spirits, said that when broadcasters do make shows about Tourette’s, they often hire presenters who don’t have the syndrome. He cited Channel 4’s Scarlett Investigates..
. from two years ago, a doc about the number of teenagers living with Tourette’s helmed by the former Gogglebox star, who developed facial tics for two years as a teenager as as result of suffering from Bell’s Palsy. Smith said the secret lies in education.
For example, he regularly promotes the statistic that only 10% of Tourette’s sufferers present with Coprolalia, .