Rebecca Gibney still coming to terms with ADHD and autism diagnosis later in life

Rebecca Gibney has revealed she has been diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder at the age of 61 and admits she is still trying to come to terms with the news.

The New Zealand actress, known for her role in Packed to the Rafters, said she has never cried so much in her life since she found out about the diagnosis.

“It’s been hard. It’s been very emotional,” she told The Australian Women’s Weekly.

“I’ve cried a lot more in the last few months than I’ve cried in a long time, which I thought I’d gotten over as a woman over 60. I was like, ‘No, I’ve got all that stuff sorted’.”

Gibney found out about her diagnosis while speaking to a psychologist about struggles she faced after competing on Dancing With The Stars in 2025.

“I’m still coming to terms with it because it’s answered a lot of questions from my past - my panic attacks, my years of masking, which started obviously at a very early age,” she told the publication.

Masking is when a person with ADHD or autism hides their natural behaviours and traits to fit in with those around them.

The Wanted star said her diagnosis has brought inner peace, and she now understands why her childhood was wrought with mental health struggles and began to experience intrusive thoughts in her 30s.

“I was spiralling. The weekly panic attacks became daily, then hourly. The self-loathing was constant, and my pain was so deep I didn’t know how to deal with it,” she said.

“There’s that slight mourning – gosh, if I’d known this 40, 50 years ago, would I have gone through all the stuff that I went through? Maybe it would have made my high school years easier because, you know, I did have a lot of mental health struggles.”

The diagnosis came as she agreed to host Millionaire Hot Seat, a quiz show where contestants are just a few questions away from life-changing amounts of money.

While she enjoys hosting the game show — which is a first for her — Gibney is focusing on putting her family first this year.

Gibney is just one of many Australian celebrities who have been diagnosed with ADHD at a later stage in life.

Mamamia co-founder Mia Freeman received her ADHD diagnosis at age 49, while actress Sigrid Thornton found out she had the same condition at 65.

Media personality Em Rusciano was diagnosed with ADHD and autism at age 43, while author Clementine Ford discovered she had ADHD at 41.