'It's been overwhelming'
Love Island’s Niall Aslam breaks his silence on why he left the villa and reveals he has Asperger syndrome
EX-Love Island star Niall Aslam has bravely revealed the reason he quit the Love Island villa is because he suffers from Asperger syndrome.
The 23-year-old left the ITV2 reality show for "personal reasons" and has now opened up about his secret health battle.
5
He was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as a young child, but says he has since "suffered in silence".
Today, the reality TV star broke his silence following his dramatic exit from Love Island, saying: "I am glad that I can now accept who I am".
In a statement on Instagram, Niall said: "Right, so here it goes...for this post I am putting my laying it on thick brush down and hoping to hit the nation with a love potion.
"For far too long I have suffered in silence and not acknowledged a massive fact about my life which going into the villa has led me to finally realise and accept.
5
"When I was a young child I was diagnosed with asperges syndrome, a fact that until this post has never shared outside of my close family.
"Growing up was extremely difficult for me and I often felt out of place.
"I always felt that people didn't understand me, yet I was afraid to reveal my true scales as I did not want the label or stigma that was attached to it.
Love Island's Niall Aslam's funniest moments from inside the villa
"But now I think it is important that I come forward, not only so that I can finally be honest with myself and to those around me, but also so that other individuals in my position can embrace their true colours.
"It's not been an easy ride for me to come to terms with this fact but I am glad that I can now accept who I am, and am looking forward to my next chapter.
"I would just like to thank the team at ITV for always backing me and giving me the opportunity to rid my myself of my insecurities and embrace the fact that I am different yet I am still a rainbow fish.
5
5
5
Love Island Day 21 - Drama continues as Wes and Megan move on with their relationship and two islanders are booted out of the villa
"I can't explain how grateful I am for the support from the whole team over this period.
"I would also like to thank the British public for the love you have all shown me over the past few weeks, it has been overwhelming.
"Now it's time for this rainbow fish to dive deep into the big blue ocean and show the world what I'm all about - there's more layers to come! 🐠#AutismAwareness #BeYourOwnKindOfRainbowFish #LessPrangMoreLove."
What is Asperger Syndrome?
Asperger Syndrome is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people see the world and interact with others.
It's often referred to as 'mild autism' - and affects around 700,000 people in the UK (more than one in 100).
The main difference between it and autism is that people with Asperger's don't have a learning disability, and do not have any developmental or intellectual delays.
In fact, those with Asperger's are normally of average or above average intelligence.
Common signs of Asperger Syndrome in children include avoiding eye contact, and preferring to play alone or with adults - instead of joining in with other kids.
Those with Asperger's often find it hard to interpret changes in facial expressions, tone of voice, jokes, sarcasm and vagueness.
They tend to have very mature language skills, and will use sophisticated words they have learned from books, but can still find it hard to communicate with others.
Kids may also find it difficult to read other people, meaning they may appear to be insensitive, act 'strangely' or fail to comfort someone who's upset.
They typically don't like change and like to stick to a routine.
People with Asperger's often have one very intense interest - such as art, music or computer programming.
While some may have over or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain.
Within seconds of posting his heartfelt message, Niall had thousands of likes and supportive messages from fans.
One said: "Always be proud of who you are. You were my favourite boy in the villa, was gutted to hear you’d left - good for you for speaking out but never let your autism hold you back!"
Another added: "Awww I was worried about you ... So glad to see you back around. You are fabulous."
Someone else said: "You may feel alone in this big world but you're not! Just remember you have so much love and support around you and you're inspiring a lot of people."
We've noticed Niall Aslam says the word 'like' quite a lot on Love Island