This brave film speaks up for women with autism
There has been a marked rise in women being diagnosed with autism in recent years. Some are in the public eye. The TV presenter Melanie Sykes was diagnosed at the age of 51, and said her life had finally started to make sense. Anne Hegerty, quizzer on The Chase, received her diagnosis at 45, having watched a programme about the condition and recognised some of the traits in herself.
Christine Mcguinness: Unmasking My Autism (BBC One) is a follow-up to a 2021 documentary in which she and her husband, presenter Paddy Mcguinness, discussed their children’s autism. At the end of that programme, Christine was told that she had it too. In this new film, she explored what that means, and how the condition affects women in particular.
If the purpose of a documentary is to throw light on a subject, then this one was exemplary. Christine explained the many ways in which autism can manifest itself, but which are not immediately apparent to others. Sensory issues mean she prefers beige food and feels anxious in noisy places. She has a wardrobe of clothes bought not because she liked them, but because they fit the different “roles” she played in certain situations. A text message from a friend casually inviting her for lunch the following day would throw her into panic: “What time?
Where? What are we eating? What are we wearing? Who’s going? How long am I there for? What time am I getting home?”
I learned for the first time about the links between autism and eating disorders, and why they often manifest in teenage girls. Experts explained that the switch from the safety and security of primary school was a “perfect storm” – a larger, noisier environment with different teachers for each subject and break-times which involve milling around and chatting rather than playground games. A professor of psychology in eating disorders at the Maudsley Hospital assessed all of her patients and found that one-third met the criteria for autism.
Christine spoke of her own life with great bravery, revealing that she was sexually abused in childhood and relationships she had before meeting Paddy. The programme explained that autistic girls can struggle with the idea of consent – not knowing what behaviour is acceptable, not expecting people to lie, wanting to please in order to “fit in”.
She also discussed striking out on her own after the breakdown of her marriage, a daunting prospect for anyone but particularly for someone with this condition. Everyone who watched this programme will be rooting for her.
The Piano (Channel 4) reached its finale with a concert at the Royal Festival Hall. The four amateur pianists chosen at auditions in railway stations were on the bill. “They have just a few weeks…” said presenter Claudia Winkleman, inevitably. The jeopardy of a deadline is always built into shows of this type.
This has been a delightful series that succeeded because the charm and talent of the participants outweighed the manipulative behaviour of the programme-makers. Watching it, one had to wonder. Did all of these contestants, with their heartbreaking/ inspiring backstories, just stumble upon an advert for an audition and pop to their nearest participating station? The premise was billed as “secret” but what exactly did they all think they were doing, performing in front of a TV crew with Winkleman as host? Were these four really the finest pianists to audition, or the ones with the most interesting lives?
These questions bounced around my mind for the first half of the final episode. But when the performers took to the stage, the questions disappeared. Specifically, they disappeared at the sight of Lucy, a sublime pianist who is blind and unable to hold a conversation due to her developmental delays. She played Debussy’s Arabesque No 1 beautifully. When Lang Lang called her a “genius”, it didn’t feel like hyperbole.
Lang Lang and Mika have been great judges – the former’s technical expertise married with the latter’s enthusiasm and ease. Although it was annoying when they kept loudly whispering during the performances.
The other three performers also did everyone proud – they didn’t put a foot wrong. Jay, Sean and Danny performed their own compositions. Danny, when aged just nine, had lost his father to suicide. His song moved Winkleman to tears.
At the end, each performer was given their own piano, which was a nice touch because none of them owned one, and Lucy was named star performer. Asking the judges to pick a winner felt unnecessary, but nobody could argue with their choice.
Christine Mcguinness: Unmasking My Autism ★★★★★
The Piano: The Final ★★★★