Great British Bake Off winner diagnosed with bipolar 2 and autism
Great British Bake Off 2024 winner Georgina Grasso revealed her health diagnosis to her Instagram followers on Sunday (16.08.26).
Great British Bake Off champion Georgina Grasso has been diagnosed with bipolar 2 and autism.
The 36-year-old star - who won the Channel 4 show in 2024 - admitted her four severe hypomanic and manic episodes have left her scared by having "no control over anything" she is doing.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday (16.08.26), Georgina gave fans a health update alongside a series of candid shots from her life, and she penned over the first two pictures: "Turns out... I don’t have ADHD, I have bipolar 2 +autism. (sic)"
According to Mind, people may be diagnosed with bipolar 2 if they have experienced both "at least one depressive episode" and "symptoms of hypomania that have lasted at least four days".
While autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that affects how a person communicates, interacts with others, processes information and experiences the world.
Across the following four slides, Georgina told how her diagnosis came as a "shock", leaving her questioning her identity and how it could impact her career as a content creator.
She typed: "It has come as a shock, it feels scary, and it’s taking me a while to absorb, and I didn’t think it would. My dr mentioned last year that he thinks it could be, but I thought there’s no way.
"I've spent years researching about adhd, I know next to nothing about bipolar. I feel like I'm not sure who I am right now, and scared to be judged even more so now.
"Apparently it can be common for bipolar to be misdiagnosed as adhd. I think the turning point for me was being 100 [per cent] truthful with my psychiatrist about my history and symptoms.
"Lots of things make more sense. My struggle to hold down jobs. Why for periods I'm amazing at my now job at content creating, then for weeks and months I physically cannot do anything. It gives me a bit of relief. But it doesn't help the times where I need to work but can't.
"Being a content creator means you have to be consistent, so it scares the hell out of me can I actually keep doing this. (sic)"
In the last three slides, Georgina said she does not feel ready to discuss her "really bad periods of highs and lows" but hopes new medication will bring "stability" to her life.
The baker said: "Right now, I don't think I want to go into the depths of my really bad periods of highs and lows. I've done some crazy things over the years. Not only that, but I only ever want to share knowledge about mental health that I'm fully knowledgeable on.
"Right now, I don't know much about it.
"I really want to keep going, support my family as much as I can. Doing this from home is the only way I can do it. So having you guys here with me, some new, some of you OGs from bake off. I appreciate every single one of you!
"I am starting new medication and really hope I can be 'stable' and be able to work and create with consistency. They come with side effects which do worry me, but I hope the benefits outweigh them. (sic)"
Georgina concluded: "If any of you who have bipolar have any advice for me. I would greatly appreciate it. And again, thank you for being here! I need you now more than ever.
"Every save share comment and like helps me be able to stay doing this. I promise I'll be back creating lots of new recipes from this week!
"Love, G x (sic)."
Georgina captioned the upload: "It’s been a while guys…
"I’ve been caught up in moving house, mental health assessments for me and the kids. Clearly in a “depressive” episode for the last couple of months.
"I keep saying to myself ‘I’ve got bipolar’ trying to figure out what that means. I know I'm still me. But everything I thought I knew about my mental health, isn’t what I thought it was.
"I've had 4 severe hypotonic/ manic episodes over the last 8 years, the last one being last year, but you’d never have known. I never ever want one ever again. They are scary. What scares me most is I have no control over anything I’m doing and it’s tunnel vision.
"You guys know how much I advocate for mental health. And how much I did for ADHD. I’ve got loads to learn about bipolar and am in no position to be spreading awareness about it until I know a lot more.
"So for now, this is just a - this is me! Hope you can all stick around for the ride, for the highs and lows!
"Love, G. X (sic)"
