Ashbourne woman asks the big questions on The Assembly
An Ashbourne woman shows off her interviewing talents, asking big names like the Taoiseach even bigger questions on The Assembly TV show.
The Assembly show premiered this week which had notable names such as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Ryan Tubridy, Joanne McNally, and Rosie O’Donnell facing a panel of neurodivergent interviewers. With facilitator Muireann O’Connell, reporters asked questions filled with unfiltered curiosity and zero interest in playing it safe.
One of these reporters was Niamh Biddulph, a 29 year old living in Ashbourne working as an An Post HR Administrator who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.
After getting told by the producer she was in the show, Niamh said “I was really excited about it because being on the assembly for me was like a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s not everyday that autistic people get to interview celebrities, let alone meet them in person.”
“It had been really amazing fun and everyone that was involved in it had been very supportive and had always made sure that we were comfortable with being in that environment and always was there to help us is we ever needed assistance in regard to asking specific questions.”
Next Monday’s episode will have the stand-up comedian Joanne McNally and Niamh’s personal favourite to interview, saying “everybody came in with their own jokes and everyone was having a great laugh.”
She said her overall experience was “a really lovely way of bringing journalism into a whole new level where autistic and neurodivergent people got the opportunity to express themselves the way as they are and that everybody got to see us the way we are.”
“I think its very important that when it comes to that sort of environment that autistic people are given the same chance to express themselves on the media as everybody else.”
She said TV shows like The Assembly are important because “Nobody on The Assembly series is defined by their autism. A lot of people have one perception about autism and that is a very negative way of looking at it.”
“I think people need to be a lot more open and not quick to be jumping to conclusions on what autistic people in general are able to do, regardless of if it’s through the TV or if it’s through the real world with our job opportunities and our education.”