I Have ADHD — So Why Am I Still Hong Kong's "MC Godmother"?
- Amanda Fok
- Jun 1
- 7 min read
That day, I was sitting on the train, watching an occupational health and safety clip play on the carriage TV. A voice asked: "Do you often forget things? Is your work chaotic and hard to focus on?"
I froze. Because what it described was, unmistakably, me.
I didn't rush off to see a doctor. Instead I did something very "me" — I went home and searched the internet like mad. The more I read, the more I realised those symptoms matched my life, almost point by point. It was a complicated feeling: half shock, half relief — so for all these decades, it wasn't that I was a bad person, or that I was lazy. My brain was simply wired this way.
That year, I was already in my thirties.
Adult ADHD Diagnosis | Discovering I Had ADHD in My Thirties
The most ironic part: by the time I finally wanted a formal diagnosis, hardly anyone in Hong Kong recognised "adult ADHD" as a real thing.
Back then, the public image of ADHD stopped at "naughty kids who can't sit still." No one imagined that a grown woman standing on stage holding a microphone — articulate, outwardly brimming with confidence — could have anything to do with ADHD. In the end, after going round in circles, the only doctor I could find to diagnose me was a paediatric psychiatrist — because at the time there was simply no dedicated pathway for adult ADHD.
The moment I was diagnosed, I didn't cry. I felt relieved.
Because I finally had a name for the thing that had troubled me for most of my life. I realised I wasn't alone — that there are many people out there just like me.
The Hard Side of ADHD | Years of Masking and Being Misunderstood
Of course, the road wasn't smooth. Before my diagnosis, ADHD held me back from the shadows for a long time.
I was chaotic from a young age, always forgetting things. Yet once I started working, the jobs I ended up doing demanded great precision. I was constantly afraid — afraid of leaving out information, missing a detail, making a mistake the moment I let my guard down.
I remember once nearly filling in a claims document wrongly, almost costing a client the compensation they were entitled to. Thankfully I caught it in time, and the client received their payout in the end; but that "one step away from a serious mistake" terror still stays with me today. Staying tense in that state for so long, I eventually even developed symptoms of depression.
The most exhausting part wasn't ADHD itself — it was that "no one knew."
When I was at school, no one knew what ADHD was; my family didn't know, and I certainly didn't. So I trained myself in a formidable skill, called Masking in English — I could act completely fine in front of others, hold the room together, and pass as "normal" like everyone else.
Precisely because I masked so well, even after my diagnosis, many people around me thought: "Aren't you just making a big deal out of nothing? You seem so capable, so OK."
But only I knew the truth: ADHD really did affect my daily life, my work and my emotions. Masking doesn't mean you're fine — it just means I spent twice the energy to buy that appearance of "looking normal."
How ADHD Actually Helps Me as an MC | The Hidden Strengths on Stage
By now you might be asking: how could a brain like this become an MC — let alone a "Godmother"?
This is the one thing my whole story most wants to say: the very same ADHD traits are a difficulty in the wrong place, and a gift in the right one.
When I stepped onto the MC stage, something remarkable happened — the things that used to drag me down turned, one by one, into my weapons:
A fast, leaping mind. What an MC is tested on most is thinking on your feet. The run-down suddenly falls apart, a guest is late, a mic dies — my brain can jump to plan B in a second, and make it sound as if it was all part of the plan.
A love of talking, a hatred of dull moments. I'm naturally restless and can't stop talking. In many settings that's a flaw, but on stage that unstoppable urge to express becomes infectious energy.
High energy, able to run from venue to venue. I often work in different places morning, afternoon and night, all in one day. Most people might find all that switching exhausting; but for me, I stay buzzing and high-energy from start to finish. People often ask me, "It's so late — how are you still this energetic?" I usually smile and say: I'm truly grateful I have ADHD — because my energy is just enough to go around.
Deep engagement, easy connection with the audience. On stage I'm genuinely invested, not putting on an act. The audience feels it, and naturally comes along with me.
I have to be honest, though — ADHD comes at a cost too. My ability to memorise scripts is fairly poor, and forcing myself to learn a word-for-word script is a nightmare. But the essence of being an MC was never about reciting a script — it's about "people" and "the moment." So even this weakness, in the end, didn't stop me.
Let me add something honestly here, so as not to cause a misunderstanding: having ADHD does not mean you are bound to be suited to being an MC; and a good MC does not necessarily have ADHD. Everyone's personality and strengths are different, and the stage isn't for everyone. What I'm saying isn't "if you have ADHD you can be an MC" — it's that when you understand your own traits, place them in the right spot, and add the right training, those so-called "weaknesses" can become your one-of-a-kind strengths.
An overseas ADHD expert once used a very apt metaphor: the ADHD brain is like a car fitted with a race-car engine but bicycle brakes — full of horsepower, but not easy to stop. Put it in a setting that demands sitting still for long periods and great precision, and the engine just charges around recklessly; but put it on the MC stage, and that unstoppable horsepower becomes my burst of energy and my charisma. And the so-called training is about slowly fitting this race car with better brakes.
In fact, many of the hosts we're used to watching shine on stage carry ADHD traits too. The radio host Sammy has openly shared, on various programmes and in newspaper columns, that he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and has mentioned that the symptoms persist into adulthood. By finding the methods and rhythm that suit him, he performs just as brilliantly in hosting, writing and on stage — he has always been a role model in my eyes. Having ADHD has never meant you can't do it.
I remember once on stage, mid-sentence, a guest's microphone in the audience suddenly went silent. The room fell quiet for that one second. The normal thing to do might have been to immediately signal the crew to step in and save the moment. But I didn't think too much — almost on instinct, I reached out and handed him the mic in my own hand.
Looking back, it was actually a rather impulsive decision. But on the MC stage, that flash of impulse happened to be the fastest, most natural, most graceful way to dissolve the awkwardness. ADHD impulsiveness, in everyday life, might land you in trouble; but on a stage that demands split-second reactions, it becomes the capital for improvising on the spot (執生).
ADHD Is Not a Defect — It's a Talent in the Wrong Place
After I publicly admitted I have ADHD, something I never expected happened.
Many students came to me privately and said: "Amanda, actually, I'm like this too…" Some, after hearing my story, worked up the courage to see a doctor for the first time, and were eventually diagnosed with ADHD.
Slowly I noticed a pattern: many friends with leaping minds, who don't follow the usual path, who others see as "different," may well carry ADHD traits inside. People like us, forced into a rule-bound desk job, often struggle; but the moment we arrive on a stage that's lively and fresh — MC work, hosting, the creative fields — we thrive like fish in water, and our gifts come out.
We're not broken versions. We just — need the right stage.
For Anyone Who Feels They're "Not Normal Enough"
If you've read this far, and a voice inside you is saying "I have all of these" — I want to tell you:
There's nothing wrong with you. You just haven't found your place yet.
It took me over thirty years to understand this. Today, I hope my story can help you understand it a little sooner: your "difference" may be exactly the most valuable thing about you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can you be an MC if you have ADHD? Yes — and some ADHD traits are actually strengths on the MC stage: a leaping mind brings quick reactions in the moment, abundant energy sustains long events, and high engagement helps you connect with the audience. That said, having ADHD doesn't automatically mean you're suited to being an MC — the key is understanding your own traits, choosing the right stage, and adding the right training.
Q2: How is adult ADHD diagnosed in Hong Kong? Adult ADHD needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. The process usually includes a clinical interview, self-assessment questionnaires, and a review of how you functioned during childhood. It's best to seek a formal assessment from a qualified medical professional, rather than drawing conclusions from online self-diagnosis alone.
Q3: Which ADHD traits actually suit being an MC? The four most common ones: fast reactions in the moment, a strong and genuine urge to express, high energy to carry a whole event, and an ease in forming an emotional connection with the audience. Script memorisation may be weaker, but being an MC relies on presence and charisma in the moment — not on memorising a word-for-word script.
Want to Bring Your Own Traits Onto the Stage?
If my story has stirred something in you, and you want to try standing on stage — my Signature MC Training Course regularly takes in new cohorts, starting from zero, walking with you to build your confidence and skills on stage.
Learn about the latest cohort and enrolment: amanda.hk/en/mc-training-workshop
Updated 2026
About the author | Amanda Fok Hong Kong's "MC Godmother," a professional MC training mentor and ADHD coach, and an ADHD person herself. Champion of Hong Kong's first-ever territory-wide MC competition, with over 1,300 MC and hosting engagements and more than 10,000 students trained, she has authored and been lead writer on several books on MC work. On one hand she helps people step onto the stage through MC training; on the other, she draws on her own lived experience to advance ADHD inclusion in Hong Kong.
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