As a child, Ariana Godoy couldn’t stop reading. Whatever her hands could reach, her eyes would devour, including grown-up titles she’d sneak off her mother’s bookshelf — and a rather bloody Grimm’s edition of Cinderella. But as she entered adolescence, reading material became scarce. “I lived in a small town in Venezuela, so I really couldn’t afford books,” she says.

One morning, Godoy typed “free books online” into her search engine and found Wattpad, a reading and publishing platform. With the click of a link, she changed the course of her life. Less than a year later, she launched her career as a self-published storyteller who would become an internationally acclaimed Spanish-language novelist with countless translated works and film adaptations on Netflix and Prime Video. Back then, though, Godoy just wanted to read.

In 2009, sexy vampire stories reigned. And Godoy sank her teeth into every salacious entry she could find. Almost immediately, she noticed these writers were just people — ordinary users without publishing contracts, sharing their stories with readers. So she started posting her own. “I felt really safe to do so,” says Godoy. “I thought, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”

Her first posts were vampire stories, then she transitioned to YA romance. As she posted, she formed deep, interactive connections with her readers.

“It was so much fun,” says Godoy. “You have all these comments and all this feedback … There is this loyalty when they are part of the process that’s really cool.”

After gaining a dedicated readership all on her own, Godoy received a DM from a publisher at Grupo Planeta, one of the leading global publishing groups for Spanish-speaking writers. It had to be a scam, she thought.

“You never get a publisher in your DMs,” says Godoy. “That’s not how it goes.”

But on that particular day, that’s exactly how it went. Through Wattpad, Godoy signed with Planeta, which led to a relationship with Penguin Random House, where she has flourished as a top-selling author, releasing nearly a dozen titles through those partnerships to date.

In nearly every writer’s life comes a moment when self-disclosure bleeds onto the page. For Godoy, that moment arrived in 2016. One year after moving to Raleigh, North Carolina and six years after her father’s death, she began drafting Sigue Mi Voz (Follow My Voice). At the time, she had no idea how deeply the story of her protagonist, young Klara Rodriguez, would resonate with readers — or lead to the release of a feature-length love story at the intersection of mental illness and young adulthood.

After her father died, Godoy experienced acute, physical manifestations of anxiety in the form of panic attacks. She lived with agoraphobia, and, like Klara, struggled to step outside her house. And though her family adored her and wanted to heal her pain, they lacked a clear understanding of Godoy’s individual response to the trauma of sudden loss, and the type of care she needed throughout her recovery process. And even Godoy wasn’t sure what was happening to her.

“I had no idea,” she says. “Anxiety — what is that? … Growing up in a Latino household, there’s the culture of, ‘Oh, you’re depressed? Go and sweep something. Go and clean up. Go move. Go out and you’ll be fine.’ Depression? There was nothing like that.”

And so, she wrote Sigue Mi Voz to reach readers who might be experiencing similar responses to trauma, to give them the clarity and the clinical language she never had.

“It was more about finding those Arianas that were out there that had no idea, especially in the Latino community, what a panic attack looked like, what it felt like,” says Godoy. “You feel like you are going to die. I ended up in the emergency room so many times with no answers, with a clean bill of health. So as I was writing, I was like, ‘OK, this is the book that I would have liked to have when I was going through my process.’”

Klara’s voice moves the story. She’s an endearing narrator with a tendency to share her every thought, at times through a frenetic stream of consciousness — a character choice Godoy felt would convey both her earnest nature and her anxiety.

“She’s constantly overanalysing, overthinking,” says Godoy. “I think that’s something that happens a lot with anxiety. It still happens with me. I’ve been in therapy for over 10 years, and I still think 10 weeks ahead. For this detail, I think it’s a little more of myself in her [laughs].”

She also speaks frankly yet self-consciously about suicidal ideation, which in prevalent among young people but difficult to track and prevent. Writing so intimately — so vulnerably — through Klara, Godoy gives a powerful agency to those living with mental illness, a voice that speaks to countless young people at a time when Spanish-speaking voices are being forced silent.

And with more than 2 million online followers and 850 million reads, that voice is loud, and it is resonant. Godoy stays in contact with many early readers. Her novels are still available for free on Wattpad, and she encourages aspiring writers to explore different pathways to publication.

Her most powerful advice to them? Keep writing.

“Art is always part of the resistance,” she said. “Books and images, anything that can be an escape and represent, in this case, Latino voices like Klara’s, is inherently part of the resistance.”

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

After keeping fans waiting for more than four years, Euphoria is finally back for its third (and, quite probably, final) outing.

Unfortunately, the majority of critics are saying that the new episodes have not exactly been worth the wait.

Because of the delay between seasons, creator Sam Levinson took the decision to age up his teenage characters, with season three reintroducing the usual gang – played by returning stars Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer et al – as young adults.

However, early reviews have said that the show loses its footing in this change, and while there’s been praise for the cast’s performances, critics are not convinced by Euphoria’s new direction – with some even going as far as saying that the new episodes indulge the show’s worst tendencies.

With that in mind, here’s a selection of what critics are saying about Euphoria season three so far…

“The show has lost its zeitgeisty edge. Euphoria has become a series with very little to say, none of it very audacious or compelling.”

“A show which was once blackly funny is now humourless torture porn […] Euphoria season three is grim TV that seems hellbent on rattling us for the sake of it. If its cast seemed desperate to get it over and done with, well, now we know why.”

“Euphoria may still have the gloss, budget and star power of prestige TV, but it’s no longer enough to disguise what increasingly feels like the misogynistic fantasies of a creepy old man.”

“In a first season that emerged at a more progressive moment for pop culture, it took an equal-opportunity approach to exploitation. Now that sexism is in again, its default to the hetero male gaze is unmistakable.”

“As Euphoria’s creator, writer, and director, Sam Levinson wants to craft a show about the pervasiveness of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and the lawlessness of the American West. Instead, what he’s made — yet again — is a cannily shot phantasmagoria that’s as beautifully lit as it is emotionally hollow.”

“Euphoria always skewed nihilistic, so none of these ideas are out of place in what may be its last season. But Levinson’s series was never this spiritually hollow, and it was always more active, insistent, and ambitious.”

“The first three episodes of season three (out of an eventual eight) do feel like Euphoria: bombastic, stylish and able to offset grandiosity with sly, cutting humor. What they don’t feel like is tethered to the grounding ballast that kept the first two seasons on the rails even at their most over-the-top.”

“The transfer across to the world of adulthood quite simply [falls] short. Not only has the show lost its way: it’s become a bizarre parody of its former self […] Zendaya’s performance, revealing Rue’s struggles, is a shining light in this disappointing return.”

“There’s a great show lurking in here somewhere. So much of Rue’s journey proves it. Yet Euphoria keeps smothering that greatness with something far grosser, and that’s something no amount of reinvention can hide.”

“Television’s Mount Rushmore of antiheroes and antiheroines is crowded, and if Zendaya’s Rue isn’t carved into the primary peak, she’s somewhere immediately adjacent. But the series as a whole?

“Attention-demanding things that played as extreme and terrifying when they were happening to teenagers simply become ‘things’ when the protagonists are in their 20s; heightened ideas that played as gloriously melodramatic and precariously edgy expressed through high-schoolers barely count as ‘ideas’ when run through a 20-something prism.”

“It is testament to how well-rounded the world of Euphoria is that these new episodes feel true to their characters and an accurate continuation of the saga. Levinson’s spectacular misfire on The Idol shouldn’t detract from his ability to construct tense, witty and morally knotty plots. Against those scripts, his actors (who reports suggest had been lukewarm on a return to the show) appear to be having great fun.”

“Dazzling […] This is Euphoria with a much wider canvas. Before, it was a slickly stylish Instagram-friendly tale of various teenagers from a middle-class suburb in Los Angeles doing irresponsible things. Now they are in their 20s and the terrifying expanse of adult life symbolised by the dusty desert lies ahead.”

Euphoria returns on 13 April on Sky, Now and HBO Max, with new episodes every Monday.

As rumours continue to swirl about which stars will be on the line-up for this year’s season of The Celebrity Traitors, there’s one name that we can now confidently rule out.

Over the weekend, former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi made an appearance on Laura Kuenssberg’s flagship BBC politics show, during which the subject of Celebrity Traitors came up in the conversation.

The Oscar winner then shared that he’d been approached about putting in a stint in the iconic castle, but turned it down.

Explaining his reasons for not wanting to compete on Celebrity Traitors, Peter said the show “propels” its contestants “into the public eye” and to a “level of fame” and “exposure” that he’s personally not comfortable with.

“It’s like doing my music things,” Peter noted, referring to his recent pivot from acting to music. “It’s very difficult for people in that business to understand that you want to keep it small.

“People keep saying to me, ‘why don’t you do a bigger tour?’, or ‘why don’t you do a bigger release?’, or ‘why don’t you promote this more?’. I’m not doing it to be famous.”

Filming on the second season of Celebrity Traitors is due to get underway imminently, before the star-studded reality show returns to our screens in the autumn.

A number of names reported to be in the running for the show’s first iteration, including Bob Mortimer, Daisy May Cooper and Danny Dyer, are now heavily rumoured to be following in Alan Carr’s footsteps, with the likes of Ruth Jones, Cheryl Tweedy, Michael Sheen and Amol Rajan also tipped to be on the follow-up season’s line-up.

Meanwhile, Alison Hammond recently claimed that she was too booked and busy to do the show after rumours about her involvement.

The Traitors will also return for its fifth season in early 2026, with the BBC recently renewing both the main show and its celebrity counterpart until at least 2030.

Anyone who watched Louis Theroux’s Inside The Manosphere will be aware that misogynistic content is rife online. Yet these views haven’t just appeared out of nowhere, they’ve been around for years – and social media has amplified it thanks to rage-fuelled algorithms.

Nearly 70% of boys aged 11-14 years old have been exposed to misogynistic content online, according to Ofcom.

After Netflix’s much-lauded series Adolescence shone a spotlight on misogyny among school children last year (and introduced many parents to terms like red pill and manosphere), teachers told HuffPost UK misogynistic comments are commonplace, even from primary school-age boys.

Just this week, one Birmingham-based teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, told Birmingham Live a six-year-old pupil had “said he wasn’t going to get his fruit at snack time and one of the girls would have to go and get the fruit for him”.

The teacher noted misogynistic views are being “trickled down” to younger children through older siblings who are consuming this content online.

When the six-year-old was pulled up on his comments, he said his older brother had been “watching the videos”.

Research by the University of York found most primary and secondary school teachers are “extremely concerned” about the influence of the manosphere – a collection of websites and forums that typically promote masculinity, some of which amplify misogynistic views – on children and young people.

One-quarter of teachers referenced male pupils discussing misogynistic influencers or misogynistic movements from the internet, such as incels.

Educator Rebecca Leigh previously told us she’s noticed “a rise in misogyny” among students – some as young as 11 or 12.

Unison, the UK’s largest union, said a major issue currently affecting schools is the rise in sexist behaviour and language, and sexual harassment – noting it’s being fuelled by explicit content online, as well as on mobile phones.

Childhood is a critical stage of development, and children are “highly impressionable” and particularly vulnerable to extreme views, family psychotherapist Fiona Yassin told HuffPost UK.

“The internet is a hotbed for extremism and misinformation and early research around the impact of the ‘manosphere’ on children is incredibly alarming,”

But parents, carers and anyone working with children can play a role in shaping how youngsters view women.

Regardless of whether you believe your child is exhibiting these behaviours or consuming harmful content online, conversations about misogyny and the treatment of women are incredibly important.

And given all the data, it’s never been more pressing.

Since last July, Edward James Herath, a brand and strategic comms consultant, has taken part in more than 120 job interviews. The feedback is often the same: he’s “too direct,” “too honest,” “abrupt,” or “confrontational.”

Herath, 39, who is diagnosed with autism and ADHD (AuDHD), believes his literal and questioning demeanor is costing him jobs.

He finds interviews particularly difficult because of their “indirect, passive-aggressive, and theatrical communication style,” he tells HuffPost UK. He believes they measure how he performs under pressure rather than his ability to do the job, and his real self – someone who cares deeply about his relationships and career – doesn’t come across.

“There’s a strong emphasis on reading between the lines and softening language,” he says. For someone who values clarity, that’s a difficult tone to strike.

Hearth is by no means alone in this struggle. Research suggests neurodivergence is widely seen as a barrier to employment. A 2024 Zurich survey of 1,000 neurodivergent adults in the UK found more than half believed recruitment processes were designed to filter them out, while over a third said interviews had triggered panic. A 2025 UK survey also found that 40% of young people believe being neurodivergent was a hindrance in the hiring market.

The consequences are significant for employers, says Sharawn Tipton, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse. She says traditional hiring often favours similarity over talent, despite evidence that diverse teams perform better. Neurodivergence, she says, is “no different than height or personality.”

“When you think about neurodiversity, it’s really around understanding that the mind works differently for everyone,” she says. “Different ways of thinking and communicating are things that help companies innovate faster.”

Christal Castagnozzi, a psychologist with ADHD and autism who specialises in neurodivergence, says traditional interviews prioritise skills like eye contact and quick verbal responses. Executive functions like memory and processing speed are suddenly tested too.

“Neurodivergent folks will struggle in all of these areas, especially when we are put on the spot,” she says. “You’re literally being judged while standing in front of someone. That’s a neurodivergent person’s worst nightmare.”

For many, interviews become less about competence and more about navigating unwritten social rules, according to Elise Minkin, a neurodivergent career coach. She tells HuffPost UK that interviews can feel like “a game” where not everyone knows how to play.

“There’s this kind of secret code that a lot of neurodivergent people feel like they were never told,” she says.

Even common questions, such as why someone wants the job, can cause trouble.

“Obviously for a paycheque,” she says. That’s the true answer – and one which someone with neurodivergence would be inclined to say. “But of course it’s not what the interviewer wants to hear,” she added.

Office environments are not always comfortable spaces for neurodivergent people. Those with autism may struggle to concentrate under harsh fluorescent lighting. Flickering or humming lighting can also be distracting and even sometimes painful.

The location may also affect performance. Some candidates may communicate better over Zoom, where they can make notes, comfortably take more time to answer questions, or use a sensory fidget tool off-screen, which have been shown to help reduce anxiety and increase concentration for people with ADHD and autism.

Without flexibility, neurodivergent candidates “can’t always show up as their best self,” Minkin says.

Many neurodivergent candidates face the difficult decision over whether to disclose their condition up front. Tipton recommends those who want to do this to ask to be connected with anyone at the company who can offer support, such as an employee resource group (ERG).

“You can ask the company, what do you do?” she says. “Because interviewing is a two-way street, and you want to make sure you’re going to an environment where you’re going to thrive and the company is going to be able to support you.”

Those who don’t may result to masking, which is a term for suppressing natural behaviours to appear more socially typical.

“I’m not at all a fan of masking,” Austin says, citing its mental and physical toll. But she acknowledges the decision is personal.

Castagnozzi believes the responsibility should not fall on candidates at all, and adjustments should be built into hiring by default.

“This should just be a best practice,” she says. “Even someone that is not neurodivergent, or does not know that they are neurodivergent just yet, may benefit from accommodations, especially during a stressful time.”

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers in the UK must make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants. Similar protections exist in the US and Canada.

But reasonable adjustments are often applied inconsistently or denied altogether. Many neurodivergent people are speaking publicly about their experiences, sharing frustrations and finding solidarity.

Darcie, who has autism and ADHD, shares her experiences with her 14,000 TikTok followers. She says that receiving interview questions 15 minutes in advance is a reasonable adjustment that helps her organise her thoughts.

In a TikTok posted in January, she described a recent interview where an employer initially agreed to provide the questions. But when she arrived, they backtracked, which undermined her confidence.

In the comments, viewers shared their own thoughts, with many agreeing that the way the company behaved was a “red flag.” Some urged Darcie to take the employer to court for discrimination, noting that reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement.

“This is really bad,” one said. “Definitely report this if you can.”

Viewers who also had ADHD and autism said they often made the same requests to potential employers, with mixed results.

“There really should be no excuse for employers not to do this when requested,” one viewer wrote. “For most jobs it shouldn’t be based on how quickly you can answer on the spot anyway.”

Some employers worry adjustments provide an unfair advantage. But Kristin Austin, VP of Culture and Community Health at Rewriting the Code, disagrees, arguing they actually improve fairness.

“If the goal is truly for people to show up at their best, why would you not give them those resources?” she says. “Are you evaluating my ability to think under pressure, or my ability to do the job?”

Software engineer Shea Belsky has experienced hiring from both sides. He says neurodivergent job-seeking experiences vary widely, making it difficult to generalise. Sometimes he has had a good experience, and sometimes he hasn’t. But meaningful change, he adds, must come from company culture, and that’s something he always strives to be a part of.

“It has to be baked into an organisation’s DNA,” he says. “We want people to feel like they can come and be their authentic selves.”

For Herath, and many others, the hope is to be assessed on their ability rather than arbitrary, performative skills. Until hiring models evolve more broadly, interviews may continue to filter out the very talent that can make a difference.