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Love Island stars SLAMMED as they share daughter’s autism diagnosis

LOVE Island stars Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt have been slammed after sharing their daughter’s autism diagnosis.

The couple, who rose to fame on the ITV2 show’s 2017 series, posted an emotional update on Instagram today, revealing the challenges their two-year-old daughter Nora has faced.

Photo of Camillia and Jamie Jewitt.
Instagram
Love Island stars Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt have been slammed after sharing their daughter’s autism diagnosis[/caption]
Toddler in pink jacket walking on a path.
Instagram
Little Nora, aged two, has autism[/caption]

While their decision to open up about their journey was praised by some for raising awareness, others have criticised them for making such personal information public.

In the heartfelt post, Camilla shared a photo of Nora, who was smiling in a pink puffa jacket, as she walked in the sunshine.

Alongside the image, Camilla wrote a touching message about her daughter’s strength and perseverance in the face of autism, highlighting the hurdles Nora has overcome despite not yet reaching certain developmental milestones.

She penned: “Nora, our little darling. I often wonder what life must be like for you, having to get up and do things that you find hard every day.

“And not just that, but things that everyone else around you seems to find so easy.

“For every milestone we are yet to reach, or the ones that may not be for us at all, you just keep going, with a smile on your face and so, so much love in your heart.

“To determinedly keep doing things that are difficult with grace and good humour is something that many of the rest of us have spent a lifetime trying to master.

“Yet, that strength is already within you, and you go and get it every single day.

“So of course we will be excited for you in the milestone moments, but we are proud of you always.

“Last month you received your autism diagnosis and we know there are some very real challenges ahead for you, and that we will need to grow as parents to make sure we give you what we hope to give all our children; the tools to navigate spaces that are difficult for you, the empowerment to set boundaries that serve you and above all a happy life with every opportunity to be yourself.

“We see you, always trying to find the sunshine no matter what life brings, and we will be with you every step of the way to make sure it always finds a way through.

“We are so grateful to be your parents and for the love you and your siblings share, and for everyone who has supported and continues to support Nora and our family.”

Fans were quick to react on Reddit, with some highlighting that Nora may not be comfortable with her diagnosis being announced publicly as she grows older.

One wrote: “Good for them trying to normalise the conversation about autism, but imagine that girl showing up to high school later knowing every other kid can know deeply personal stuff about her with one Google search.”

Someone else said: “My child is awaiting autism assessment and it’s not particularly something I would share online. Having said that, I do follow lots of other parents with autistic children, as the NHS is so broken and getting the right help for your child is so difficult and complicated.

“I hope they’ll lean towards advocating for the services to be improved more than anything and to further normalise autism.”

A third pointed out: “As someone who discovered their own autism as an adult my initial reaction to them sharing this is not negative. I feel like they will be able to share realistic and compassionate approaches to parenting for their daughter while normalizing differences.

“Obviously other people will have different opinions. As far as it being her personal information out there on the internet… other kids will already know and they will know if they want to bully her about it.

“They will know by knowing her without a need for defining it with language. The information will probably cause more understand than disruption in her life growing up.”

Another asked: “I understand that autism awareness is important but at what point is your child’s privacy more important? The entire internet didn’t need to be told about this. At the very least they could’ve waited a few years so their child could actually consent to this.”

What is autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.

It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls.

Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people’s feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations.

When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead.

They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals.

Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress.

High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder.

OPENING UP

Previously, Camilla praised Nora for being “on her own timeframe.”

She tried to reassure fans, urging them to recognise that babies all develop at different paces.

The reality TV star told her social media following of Nora in 2024: “She’s very much on her own timeframe for everything, although I’ve only touched on gross motor development on here before. 

“She doesn’t speak – about 8 months ago she said ‘Dada’ for the first time and then overnight she stopped and hasn’t said it since. She has never said ‘Mama’.

“Day to day we are still working on her cutlery and practical skills.” 

Thanking her health visitors for their assessments, referrals and support, Camilla continued: “I want Nora to know she can be a baby for as long as she wants or needs to. 

“We are very proud of how she is steadfastly moving through the world at her own pace.

“The last thing I want is for her to grow up thinking that life is a race, or that she needs to be the fastest, smartest, funniest or loudest person in the room to be worthy of love.” 

Family photo of Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt with their three children.
Instagram
The couple share three kids[/caption]
Jamie Jewitt and Camilla Thurlow from the TV show *Love Island*.
Camilla and Jamie met on Love Island’s 2017 season
Rex Features

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Dramatic first look at Neighbours’ epic 40th anniversary week as iconic character ‘returns from the dead’ & fire erupts

NEIGHBOURS have shared a dramatic first look at their epic 40th anniversary week – as an iconic character ‘returns from the dead’.

The long-running Australian soap has teased one of the biggest weeks in its history as it celebrates the milestone.

Screenshot of a woman crying while being held by a man, with another woman looking on in distress.
Prime
Neighbours has released its explosive new trailer ahead of its 40th birthday[/caption]
Screenshot of a person floating face down in murky water.
Prime
A body can be seen floating in Lassiters lake during the clip[/caption]
Screenshot of a man saying, "No it can't be," in front of bookshelves.
Prime
Harold is left stunned when he thinks his wife Madge has come back from the dead[/caption]

A brand new trailer shows the Lassiters lake become a crime scene as Jane Harris spots a body floating in the water.

Elsewhere, Leo Tanaka and Krista Sinclair’s wedding day is rocked by drama after Krista sleeps with Sebastian Metcalfe.

And Harold Bishop is left shaken when newcomer Agnes Adair bares a striking resemblance to his late wife Madge.

There looks set to be tension ahead for the pair as Harold claims “you’re dead”.

Neighbours‘ new trailer comes on the back of bosses confirming The Sun’s exclusive story that Neighbours had been axed again.

The show will be rested at the end of this year, in a blow to loyal fans.

A source said: “Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn’t get the viewers. 

“It’s a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne. 

“This really is the end of Neighbours just as it’s celebrated it’s 40th birthday.”

In a statement, Neighbours said: “We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025.

“New episodes from the 40th anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love.”

Neighbours stars who made it big

The long-running Aussie soap has launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Here are some of the Neighbours alums who went on to make it big after starring on the soap...

Kylie Minogue

  • Before she hit the big time with her music career, Kylie shot to fame playing Charlene Mitchell on Neighbours. Shortly after her arrival, Kylie began an on and off-screen romance with co-star Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson, which gained the couple an army of adoring fans. 

Jason Donovan

  • After his stint as Scott, singer and actor Jason became an international popstar and had his pick acting of roles. He moved to the U.K., married, had children and has since starred in over a dozen West End show, most notably Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Alan Dale

  • New Zealand born actor Alan was one of Neighbours 12 original cast members having made his debut as Jim Robinson on the soap’s first episode on 18 March 1985. As the head of the Robinson clan, widower Jim lived at Number 26 Ramsay Street with his children Paul, Julie, Scott and Lucy, and was a real anchor in the community. He stayed with the show for eight years, before his character was killed off in dramatic scenes aired in 1993 but which still reverberate through the soap to this day.

Margot Robbie

  • Way before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot was best known as Ramsay Street resident Donna Freedman. Her notable storylines included her marriage to Ringo Brown and becoming a young widow following his tragic death. After three years she bid farewell to the soap and Australia with a plan to make a name for herself in Hollywood which she did when she bagged the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Jesse Spencer

  • Jesse rocked up on Ramsay street in 1994 with the rest of the Kennedy clan. He stayed for five years, literally growing up in front of the camera, but in 2000 felt it was time to spread his wings and head for Hollywood. It was certainly a smart move as he went on to bag leading roles in popular shows like House and Chicago Fire.

Russell Crowe

  • New Zealand-native Russell had a brief arc on Neighbours, appearing in four episodes of the soap 1987 as Kenny Larkin, the former cellmate of Street resident Henry Ramsay. The role obviously got him noticed though because he quickly went on to become a fully-fledged Hollywood A-lister, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his standout performance as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator. 

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