Inside Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns' autism struggle which took 23 years to diagnose

Cat Burns is still riding high off the back of her 2020 single Go, which went viral on TikTok and then climbed to number two on the UK charts. Since then, she's released her debut album Early Twenties and toured the UK with major artists like Years&Years, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

She is due to release her second studio album, titled How to Be Human, on October 31. But behind it all Cat, who has joined the star-studded lineup of Celebrity Traitors, has struggled with autism, the neurodevelopmental condition that affects how one communicates.

The singer, 25, had previously been diagnosed with ADHD and in April, she told fans that she had received the news that she actually as Autism Spectrum Disorder, commonly abbreviated as ASD. Cat, whose full name is Catrina Burns-Temison, recently spoke about how it interfered with her everyday life as far back as when she was in school. She said: "It was non-stop, thinking about experiences in school like revising and studying and all the other things I struggled with daily!"

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The songstress explained that she was aware of a 'difference' within her thought process so eventually just decided to take the plunge and find out what she could about herself.

During an interview with BBC Newsbeat, she admitted: "I knew I had ADHD but I still felt there was a difference in my brain that I wanted to understand and explore.

"So once I got my autism diagnosis that helped me understand myself and just how much I've had to do in order to get to where I am."

But it hasn't all been plain sailing for Cat, as she has admitted that she has had 'a lot to get used to' since the diagnosis came through.

She told the i paper: "It’s a lot to get used to. It’s a whole new way of life and you have to find your routine.

"I always felt inherently different from everybody else and I just didn’t have a name for it or know what it could have been. As I got older, I really identified with the symptoms."

In a career move for Cat, she will now be seen on Celebrity Traitors, playing for charity alongside comedian Alan Carr, actress Celia Imrie, singer Charlotte Church, broadcaster and presenter Clare Balding and historian and filmmaker David Olusoga as well as a whole host of others.

But the star recently shared her worries that her tour was not selling and she opened up to fans on social media, even though she was just days away from being on a programme that would give her mass exposure.

In a recent TikTok video, musician Cat discussed her worries about playing in empty venues. She rocked an oversized green jumper and sweatpants as she wrote: "Trying not to crash out because I haven't sold many tour tickets and the first shows is in less than 2 months so i'm basically playing to empty rooms."

Stars also entering the castle also include rugby star turned podcaster Joe Marler, comedian Joe WIlkinson, presenter Jonathan Ross, broadcaster Kate Garraway and actor Mark Bonnar.

Completing the line-up is actor and comedian Nick Mohammed, content creator Niko Omilana, singer Paloma Faith, actress Ruth Codd, presenter Stephen Fry, EastEnders ' Tameka Empson and Olympian Tom Daley.

A number of them will be named Traitors and will have to convince the others they are on the same team - but who will come out on top and who will be playing the ultimate game of deception?

The Celebrity Traitors will launch on Wednesday 8th October at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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