Sam Thompson may only have recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – commonly known as ADHD. But the possibility of having it was nothing new.

“A lot of people used to tell me they thought I had ADHD… As my life was going on, I came into contact with a lot of people who said I had it. It’s odd how people do that with neurodiversity,” says the reality TV star and Hits Radio host.

It was only when his partner – former Love Islander Zara McDermott – expressed similar concerns, that Thompson decided to take it seriously. For the sake of their relationship, and in order to discover more about himself, he looked into it and pursued a diagnosis privately.

“I knew there was something different in me from school, from growing up. But I never cared, I liked being different,” adds Thompson, 30, who explores the journey in a new E4 documentary.

Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD? sees the media personality delve into the impact of the condition, which can affect behaviour in a number of ways. In his case, this includes difficulties with focus, being disorganised and forgetful – and general “chaotic” behaviour (as McDermott puts it).

“[My ADHD] made things different,” he says, “And it could damage other relationships. I am lucky that Zara is the most relaxed person I have ever met, she just takes me for me.”

The documentary shows how often McDermott would try to talk to Thompson about something important, and he’d struggle to pay attention. Viewers will also see her organising his meetings and taking the lead on anything that requires planning.

Before this point, Thompson says McDermott “wouldn’t really say to me that I wasn’t listening, but I would get annoyed at myself. I had a problem with it because I was sitting there thinking that I love this girl, and she is talking to you about something that she is really passionate about – why can’t you just sit there and actually listen and actively focus?

“I used to think I was just self-centred,” he admits.

He touches on how he was worried about what might happen in the future, particularly in terms of the impact on his relationship, if he just continued as he was. This was a big motivation for pursuing the diagnosis.

While they are not planning on having children just yet, being a father had also been on Thompson’s mind.

“For some reason, I kept on thinking to myself that I want to be a dad sometime – how am I supposed to look after a child if I can’t even look after myself? What if I have a moment where I get really frustrated? I don’t want to be doing that. I want to be a stable father who is an adult, who is able to look after people,” he explains.

Thompson acknowledges now that his then-undiagnosed ADHD may have had a damaging impact on some of his previous relationships (his previous girlfriends have included fellow Made In Chelsea stars Sophie Habboo and Tiffany Watson).

“It has impacted past relationships,” Thompson says. “Your focus is so all over the place anyway in your early 20s, but I definitely think when I was younger, my focus was on energy and vibes and being around people.

“Then when I wasn’t focusing on someone’s conversation, I wasn’t bothered by it. And now I am a bit older, I see that I should care about someone’s conversation – and it takes someone like Zara to make you sit there and make a change for the better.”

Following his six-year stint on the reality series, Thompson has gone on to present Love Island: Aftersun. He regularly creates comical sketches and videos with McDermott and friend Pete Wicks on TikTok and Instagram (he and Wicks also co-host a comedy podcast together, called Staying Relevant).

He believes his ADHD has at times been an advantage for him as an entertainer.

“I really enjoyed being on TV trying to entertain people, and with what I do now with social media and radio, it was an amazing time – it was made more fun [with my ADHD], for me, it makes you hyper-focus on things you really care about,” Thompson muses.

But he has felt a huge sense of relief since his diagnosis, he adds – and no longer relies so heavily on his agent, Johnny, to do things for him. “Since the diagnosis, it has got a lot better, but I felt really guilty about Johnny because he was my agent, not my minder, so I did feel guilty,” Thompson admits.

He recognises the ADHD will always be there, but now that he understands more about what’s going on, he has been able to access different treatments and support. While medication wasn’t for him, Thompson says therapists “have loads of things that help me”, including “fidget toys and stuff”.

He continues: “[I want] to be the best co-worker, the best boyfriend that I can be, so I have to tell myself to get your timesheet out, get your little clock out. There are ways to do stuff that I didn’t know I could. They allow me to become the best version of myself I can be.”

Before having his ADHD confirmed, Thompson says: “It caused me some anxiety, I felt like a bad person, and I used to beat myself up about it. But the diagnosis helps with that.”

Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD? airs on E4 on Monday, May 8.