The Hidden 20%

In this episode, Ben is joined by Kelly and Hester Grainger, the married co-founders of Perfectly Autistic.

Together they work with major organisations to build workplaces that actually work for neurodivergent people but as Kelly (AuDHD) and Hester (ADHD) explain, inclusion isn’t about a single training session or a handful of adjustments.

They reflect on careers shaped by masking, burnout and trying to fit systems that weren...

Today Ben is joined by Andy and Gaz, hosts and founders of The Autism Dadcast Podcast, which has quickly become a vital voice for parents raising profoundly autistic children - gaining tens of thousands of followers and millions of views in just weeks. They share candid insights about parenting, grief, and the day-to-day realities of life with children who have profound autism, from navigating meltdowns and stimming to advocating i...

In part two of Ben’s conversation with Dr Shyamal Mashru, they unpack what actually makes a good ADHD assessment - and why so many people are still waiting, misdiagnosed, or left without answers.

Dr Shyamal, an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead for Adult ADHD, explains what happens inside a thorough assessment, who is qualified to diagnose ADHD, and why emotional dysregulation is so often overlooked. 

Together...

In this episode, Ben sits down with Dr Shyamal Mashru, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead for Adult ADHD, for a clear and compassionate deep dive into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

Often misunderstood or dismissed as being “too sensitive,” RSD is explored here as a real, neurological experience - one that can hijack rational thought, flood the body with emotional pain, and quietly shape relationships, work, and self...

Semi-Professional cyclist, Connie Hayes, joins Ben for a deeply personal conversation about growing up autistic, dyslexic and dyspraxic - and how cycling became both a regulator and a place of safety.

Connie reflects on the early signs of autism that were missed, the self-esteem battles that came with puberty, hormones and friendships, and the long road to understanding her neurodivergence.

She shares how sport - particularly...

In part two of this conversation, neurobiologist and author of The Lost Girls of Autism, Gina Rippon, rejoins Ben to focus on the women autism research left behind.

Picking up where part one ends, Gina traces how early brain science, diagnostic bias and cultural assumptions combined to hide autistic women in plain sight. She unpacks why autism was framed as a “male condition,” how masking became a survival strategy, and the real...

In part one of this two-part conversation, neurobiologist and author of The Gendered Brain and The Lost Girls of Autism - recently awarded the British Psychological Society’s Popular Science Book Prize - Gina Rippon joins Ben to unpack what we really know, and don’t know, about the human brain.

From left-brain/right-brain myths to the rise of gendered brain science, Gina explains why many of the ideas we’ve grown up with simply ...

Comedian, presenter and creator Holly Morris joins Ben for a candid conversation about living with AuDHD, the hidden cost of masking, and why being “funny” is often a survival strategy rather than a personality trait.

Holly shares how her comedy career grew out of lifelong hyper-vigilance - constantly scanning rooms, people and conversations and how that same awareness fuels both her humour and her exhaustion. She opens up about...

Dr Renata Fialho is back in the green chair.

In this conversation, Renata and Ben pick up where they left off - this time with Renata sharing her own ADHD diagnosis, what it was like to receive it later in life, and how it has quietly reshaped both her inner world and her clinical work.

Together, they unpack the realities of autism and ADHD assessments across the NHS and private sector, why certain myths continue to circulate...

In this episode, Ben sits down with bestselling author, psychologist and behaviour change expert Shahroo Izadi for a deep, honest conversation about ADHD, addiction and how habits really form.

Diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Shahroo reflects on how years spent working in addiction services helped her make sense of her own impulsivity, shame cycles and coping strategies - long before she had the language for neurodivergence.&n...

As another year closes, we’re taking a gentler approach to New Year’s thinking. In this special episode, Ben is joined by familiar voices from across the year and a hint of who’s to come in 2026 - as he sits down with clinicians, creators, advocates and friends of The Hidden 20% to talk about goals, not resolutions.

From Dr Renata Fialho to Shahroo Izadi, Céin McGillicuddy, Dr Alison Lennox, Dr Josephine Neale and Tony...

Our Refocus series rewinds the moments too good to miss. Short takes. Big takeaways. No attention span required.

To celebrate Christmas 2025, we rewind to Carrie and David Grant talking about life post-diagnosis for Carrie, neurodivergent parenting, unmasking as a family, and how letting go of Christmas pressure can transform life for neurodivergent children and their parents.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

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In this episode, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Josephine Neale - Clinical Director for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at the Priory and founder of Neale Health, the UK’s first fully online child and adolescent psychiatry service - joins Ben to unpack ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), a condition many people have never heard of but is increasingly recognised in autistic and ADHD individual...

Christmas is often described as joyful, but for many neurodivergent people it can be overwhelming, exhausting and full of hidden pressure. In this special episode, Dr Alison Lennox returns to unpack why the festive season can feel so challenging - and how preparation, boundaries and regulation strategies can make a huge difference.

Ben and Alison discuss sensory overload, disrupted routines, family expectations, social fatigue a...

Seventeen months on, Sam Branson - Ben’s Wife - returns for her most honest conversation yet. Their daughter River is now diagnosed autistic, and Sam and Ben reflect on how that has reshaped their marriage, family life and understanding of each other.

This episode is their most vulnerable yet.

Sam reflects on what it has really been like since Ben’s autism diagnosis and the pain of autistic shutdowns from both perspectives. 

In part two of Ben’s conversation with Dr Luke Beardon, they move from language and identity into the systems shaping autistic lives - classrooms, healthcare, and even the criminal justice system. 

With over 30 years’ experience in autism education, Luke breaks down why inclusivity isn’t a “nice extra” but the foundation of genuine support, and why a one-size-fits-all approach consistently fails autistic people.

Luke sha...

In this first of a two part episode, Dr Luke Beardon - senior lecturer in autism, long-time educator, and author of Autism in Adults and Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Adults - sits down with Ben to unpack why the language we use around autism matters more than we think.

Luke explains why he rejects terms like “the autism spectrum,” and even “autistic behaviour,” and introduces his concept of autistic epistemology - a way of under...

In this episode, writer and director Céin McGillicuddy joins Ben to talk about his late autism diagnosis and ‘Play Time’ - ITV’s joyful new series celebrating neurodiversity in children and adults.

Céin reflects on growing up with parents so supportive that his autism went unnoticed for decades, the shock of discovering a 17-year NHS waitlist, and how finally understanding his brain reshaped his life and creativity.

From ‘Hor...

In this Episode, Plant-based chef and author Sophie Waplington (@sophsplantkitchen) opens up for the first time about her self-diagnosed ADHD, family estrangement, and the burnout that comes with juggling business, creativity, and self-employment.

We talk about the emotional toll of family relationships when loved ones don’t believe in neurodivergence, the pressure to “perform” online, and why rest is sometimes the most producti...