Conference - World Bipolar Day 2023

Alastair Campbell

Ivan Kennes

Dr Nick Prior

Anne Chataigné

Kayleigh Llewellyn

Rosie Phillips

April Kelley

Leah Charles-King

Dr Sameer Jauhar

Dr Clare Dolman

Luyando Malawo

Simon Kitchen

Emma Belle

Mark Adderley

Stephanie Romiszewski

Frank Bruno

Mya-Rose Craig (Birdgirl)

Dr Tania Gergel

Prof Ian Jones

Nadia Sawalha

Dr Thomas Richardson

Alastair Campbell

Columnist, political correspondent and former Director of Communications for Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell has published several best-selling books and presented two BBC documentaries about his struggles with alcohol and depression. An outspoken mental health activist, Alastair has an Honorary Fellowship at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and his podcast ‘The Rest is Politics’ is number one in the podcast charts.

Anne Chataigné

Anne Chataigné co-wrote the BFI Doc Society-funded short documentary film ‘Trust Me’, of which she is the protagonist. Blending animation and live-action recreations, she uses humour and compassion to reclaim the story of her bipolar diagnosis in her early 20s and uses the film to challenge everyday stigma and pave her journey towards self-acceptance. Anne has lived in London for the last 13 years. When she is not making documentaries with her friends, she works as an urbanist, adapting the UK to flood risk.

April Kelley

April Kelley is an award-winning actor, producer and the co-owner of Mini Productions. At the start of 2021, she wrote and produced two films tackling the topics of bipolar disorder, mental health and suicide. Mini Productions collaborated with the Film and TV Charity on both these projects and became the first company (and productions) to pilot their ‘tool kit’ for mentally healthy productions. A huge chunk of April’s proudest work has been in her role as a Bipolar UK ambassador. After finally being diagnosed at the age of 28, she found a voice by working with the charity. She says her mission is to bring comfort to others living with what she calls ‘this tricky superpower’.

Dr Clare Dolman

Clare Dolman is a journalist and researcher whose PhD focused on women with bipolar disorder’s decision-making regarding pregnancy and childbirth. She is a Patient and Public Involvement Lead for the NIHR-funded ESMI project on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of perinatal mental health services, based part-time at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. She also lectures on the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ training courses on service user perspectives. Clare, who has a diagnosis of bipolar, is a trustee of the MMHA: Maternal Mental Health Alliance and of the charity APP - Action on Postpartum Psychosis, as well as an ambassador for Bipolar UK.

Emma Belle

Emma Belle is an ambassador for Bipolar UK and the host of the podcast series 'Let's Talk Bipolar'. Emma is 41, originally from Brighton in the UK, and has lived in Paris, Geneva and now Dubai. Diagnosed with bipolar 11 years ago following a breakdown, Emma now shares practices, tips and resources through her social media platforms, blogs and podcasts to help others manage their mental health and recover from trauma. In November last year, Emma gave birth to a baby girl, her first living child, after a long journey with infertility and the loss of her daughter in utero, Willow in 2020, due to Edwards syndrome.

Frank Bruno

Frank Bruno MBE is a British former professional boxer who won the WBC and European heavyweight titles and faced multiple world champions, including Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. In 2003, Frank was diagnosed with bipolar and has used his media profile to tackle the stigma attached to mental health ever since. In his 2017 memoir ‘Let me be Frank‘, Bruno talks about his struggles with mental illness, his hospitalisations, the impact his illness has had on his family, his career and his long road back to stability. While stocks last, Bipolar UK conference attendees can get exclusive deals on his latest book, ‘Frank Bruno: 60 Years A Fighter'.

Professor Ian Jones

Ian Jones is Professor of psychiatry at the division of psychological medicine and clinical neurosciences at Cardiff University. He is also an honorary consultant psychiatrist in Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. Ian’s research interests relate to bipolar spectrum disorders, the relationship of mood disorders to childbirth and the identification and management of women at high risk of severe postpartum episodes.

Ivan Kennes

Ivan Kennes has held international leadership roles in the fields of talent development and learning and assessment technologies for 15 years. He has a volunteer role at Bipolar UK, working on digital strategy and partnerships to introduce the charity's eLearning course to a global audience. Ivan is a multilingual native of Belgium who moved to the UK as a young adult. He struggled with bipolar symptoms without a diagnosis for over a decade, living from day-to-day doing temporary jobs, before learning to manage his condition well and thrive. Ivan is now 46 and lives in a restored 19th-century cottage in the Wirral with his family and pets.

Kayleigh Llewellyn

Kayleigh Llewellyn is the creator of BBC3’s ‘In My Skin’, a drama where 16-year old Bethan is juggling sixth form and supporting her mum Trina who’s living with bipolar. The two series won multiple awards, including BAFTAs for Best Drama Writer and Best Drama Series in 2022. That same year, Kayleigh was also the recipient of the WFTV Screen Skills Writing Award. She is now adapting Jen Beagin's ‘Big Swiss’ in the US, adapting Rosa Rankin Gee’s ‘Dreamland’ for Sister Pictures and developing a second original series with Expectation Entertainment. Other recent credits include ‘Killing Eve’ and ‘Chloe’. Her mum lives with bipolar.

Leah Charles-King

Leah Charles-King is a TV and radio presenter, producer, live host and public speaker. Her music career began in the 1990s as one third of the girl band ‘Kleshay’ signed to Sony Music. In 2001 Leah began her presenting career as the first (and only to date) black female continuity presenter on Children's ITV. In 2019, Leah spoke publicly for the first time about her diagnosis of bipolar and the following year became an ambassador for Bipolar UK. In 2021 she joined Channel 4’s ‘A Place in the Sun’ as a presenter. Leah’s ‘Bipolar and Me’ report for the BBC’s ‘The One Show’ was seen by over 8.8 million viewers.

Luyando Malawo

Born in Zambia and now living in Kent, Luyando Malawo works part-time in banking. Now 33, she was detained under the Mental Health Act and diagnosed with bipolar at the age of 25. Determined to dispel the myths and shame around mental illness, Luyando has been featured in ‘Cosmopolitan’ and ‘Stylist’ magazines talking about mental health issues. As a commissioner for Bipolar UK, in 2022 Luyando helped launch the Bipolar Commission’s report 'Bipolar Minds Matter' on BBC Radio 4’s programme, ‘All in the Mind’.

Mark Adderley

Mark is a director, producer and YouTuber known for ‘The Gangbuster’, ‘The Masseuse’, ‘The Definitive History of Star Wars’ and ‘Nigel Slater: Life Is Sweets’. He has worked on countless series for all of the UK's major broadcasters in studio-based entertainment shows, factual entertainment formats and one-off documentaries. Married to Nadia Sawalha, they have two daughters and together host their hugely popular YouTube Channel ‘The Sawalha-Adderleys’ and podcast ‘How to stay married (so far)’. Mark was diagnosed with bipolar in 2021.

Mya-Rose Craig ('Birdgirl')

Mya-Rose Craig is a 20-year-old, British-Bangladeshi ornithologist, environmentalist, diversity activist, author, speaker and broadcaster. Her family’s number one passion is birdwatching and at the age of 11 Mya started her popular blog ‘Birdgirl’. At 17 she became the youngest person to have seen half of the birds in the world and published her first book, ‘We Have a Dream’ which was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. Mya’s 2022 memoir ‘Birdgirl’ recounts her unique adolescence and the family’s struggle to support her mum Helena who was living with undiagnosed bipolar for many years before getting a diagnosis. Mya is currently studying Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University.

Nadia Sawalha

Nadia Sawalha is an actress, TV presenter and YouTuber. She is well known as the popular presenter of TV shows, such as ‘Lorraine’ and ‘Loose Women’. After training at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Sawalha began her career in theatre. She played the role of Gina in ITV comedy ‘Second Thoughts’ from 1992 to 1994, and Annie Palmer on ‘EastEnders’ from 1997 to 1999. In 2007 Nadia won Celebrity Masterchef. Married to Mark Adderley since 2002, they have two daughters, and co-host a popular YouTube channel ‘The Sawalha-Adderleys’ and podcast ‘How to stay married (so far)’.

Dr Nick Prior

Dr Nick Prior is a psychiatrist and the CEO/co-founder of Minderful, a company that provides a workplace wellness solution focused on building emotional resilience through active exploration, accessibility, diversity, and community. Nick has a diagnosis of bipolar, and speaks openly about his family's struggles with suicide, depression and bipolar. He is on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, a Patron of Mind Norfolk and Waveney, and a member of the Bipolar UK Clinical Advisory Panel steering group.

Rosie Phillips

Rosie Phillips is Bipolar UK's Deputy CEO. She joined the charity in 2017 to manage the Peer Support Line and oversee the integration of our Peer Support eCommunity and Support Groups. Rosie lives with bipolar and understands the challenges the condition can bring - from social anxiety to complex mood changes, such as mania and hypomania, low mood and mixed episodes. An advocate for lived experience and the importance of peer support as part of self-management to live well, she says she has flourished since joining the charity thanks to her improved understanding of the condition.

Dr Sameer Jauhar

Dr Sameer Jauhar is a consultant psychiatrist and clinical academic at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Mood Disorders and Psychosis at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London known nationally and internationally for his research into mood disorders and psychosis. Sameer mainly looks after the care of young people with first episode psychosis (including bipolar disorder). His current research interests are the neurobiology and treatments for bipolar. 

Simon Kitchen

Simon Kitchen has been CEO of Bipolar UK since April 2018. His previous roles include running the Dementia Action Alliance, where he signed up over 1,000 organisations to support people with dementia. He also led a major co-production initiative at Leonard Cheshire Disability that empowered over 1,000 people with long term conditions in residential care to have more choice and control over their lives. Simon’s first experience of bipolar was in his late teens when he supported a friend with the condition.

Stephanie Romiszewski

Stephanie Romiszewski is a consultant sleep physiologist, director of the Sleepyhead Program and founder of the Sleepyhead Clinic – a sleep treatment centre for patients and a sleep education training service for medical professionals and corporate clients. Her research interests include circadian rhythms and a variety of sleep disorders. Stephanie has also worked on TV series about sleep for the BBC and Channel 4.

Dr Tania Gergel

Dr Tania Gergel is Bipolar UK’s newly appointed Director of Research. Her aim is to establish research as a core element of the charity’s work and to build on research projects, such as the Bipolar Commission. Her academic background is in philosophy and, since 2012, she has specialised in mental health ethics and law, with recent research concentrating on mental health advance directives and issues in neuropsychiatry. Tania will also be working in partnership with University College London, as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Division of Psychiatry.

Dr Thomas Richardson

Dr Thomas Richardson is a clinical psychologist working as Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology within the School of Psychology, University of Southampton. Thomas leads teaching about 'CBT' for bipolar disorder on the CBT diploma and is actively involved in various research projects around bipolar. Prior to this he worked for eight years as a clinical psychologist in a community mental health team for adults within the NHS. Dr Richardson also has lived experience of bipolar.