Singer and mum-of-three Mel B has opened up about her recent dyslexia diagnosis and admitted it was a relief after years of feeling stupid.
Mel B spoke about her diagnosis with the Loose Women panel and revealed that she had struggled with reading throughout her life.
The admission came as Mel was speaking about her new book, Brutally Honest, which discusses her turbulent relationship with Stephen Belafonte.
Mel told the panel: 'I've got my book coming out, Brutally Honest, it was very painful [to write], I should say. So for me to be able to read it, I decided I'm not going to read the entire book [for the audio book], I'm going to hire someone who can read it better than I can.'
The mum-of-three continued to explain: 'I was diagnosed with dyslexia last year. I find it very difficult to read sometimes and especially when I get emotional.'
Mel said that she has always thrown herself into entertainment, singing and dancing because she has struggled with reading and it would really play on her confidence.
She said: 'I kind of hid it but didn't know what I was hiding. When I'd see words backwards, or I'd have to memorise a script over and over again or it'd take me five months to read one chapter of a book because I couldn't compute it. To get diagnosed with that helped me really, I felt really relieved. All these years and now I know why I've struggled so much, especially at school.'
Mel is much happier now she has a diagnosis
Reflecting on how she felt before her diagnosis Mel explained: 'I felt very dumb, just thick. Everyone else could understand everything apart from me.'
It is estimated that 1 in every 10 to 20 people in the UK has some form of dyslexia, according to the NHS.
It is a lifelong problem that makes everyday tasks more challenging for those with the condition. Signs of dyslexia are usually noticeable as a child but diagnosis can be missed and many adults may have the learning difficulty without knowing.
If you suspect your child suffers from dyslexia you should speak to their school's special needs coordination. It's possible they will need extra help especially when it comes to exams and assessments. To get an assessment to see if you have dyslexia, contact a local national dyslexia association and they'll be able to help arrange this.
