Alex Mitchell on comedy, disability - and why he won’t be labelled inspirational

Living with functional neurological disorder (FND)

FND is commonly described as an issue with the brain’s ‘programming’ rather than its physical structure. This means the difficulty comes from how the brain and nervous system function, rather than from any structural damage.

FND can affect nearly every part of the body, causing a wide range of physical and behavioural challenges.

Alex says his symptoms began in 2021, starting with functional tics. He experiences involuntary movements and sounds, and also has a stammer. In addition, he has a postural tremor that causes regular shaking, along with constant headaches, recurring migraines, blackouts, and - most recently - balance issues that require the use of a walking aid.

There are treatments that can help reduce the effects of FND, but because its cause is still unknown, there is currently no cure. For Alex, despite taking multiple medicines and facing challenges at work, he has reached a stage where he accepts - and even embraces - his condition.

“Every day is a new day with FND, and every day I have to learn something new about my body and my brain,” he says. “It can be very difficult, but I try and use it as an opportunity to learn more about my body and how it works - both physically and mentally.

“It's taken me a long time to accept that. But I’m now at a stage where I'm like - this is who I am, and this is where I'm going. I've got to learn to live with this and still enjoy my life because otherwise what's the point?”

Alex Mitchell

When Alex first started his career in stand-up comedy, he felt he needed to address the fact that he had FND, as it wasn’t possible to mask his disability. Inevitably, features such as his tics and stammer drew attention from people who would naturally have questions.

“I grew up with autism, and quickly developed an ability to mask my autistic symptoms,” he recalls. “FND, however, is a lot harder to mask. People would be looking at you like, ‘What’s going on here? Is this some awful character act?!’”

Looking back, Alex acknowledges that much of his anxiety about people’s reactions stemmed from his own internalised pressure, rather than from anything he actually experienced from audiences or promoters.

He now references his FND far less, noting that his condition is not the most interesting thing about him.

“I've got many more opinions and views on the world that aren't dominated by disability,” he explains. “We're living in a space right now where there are a lot of disabled comedians coming through into the mainstream, which is incredibly exciting.

"But I think the best comics are not just funny - they also have something to say.”

Alex is keen to emphasise that the moment you reclaim your identity - regardless of your disability - and accept your condition, it can become a truly empowering experience.

“It takes a long time to get there. In my case, people might be a little bit surprised for a second, but actually, no one’s viewing me any differently,” he says. “For me, it’s always been about getting out there and pushing myself.

“I wasn’t going to let my condition stop me from doing stand-up - which is what I love most in the world.”

Alex finds it frustrating that people with disabilities are often perceived as somehow separate from society, or that their condition defines them as anything other than 'normal'. He also rejects the idea of being labelled inspirational simply because he has a disability.

He highlights the London 2012 Paralympic Games as a particularly influential moment in shaping this perspective.

“I was 12 when the Paralympics came to London, and it changed a lot of perceptions about disability,” he says. “The atmosphere was positive, but in a kind of negative way - because the athletes were celebrated as amazing and inspiring, when really they should just be seen as normal people.”

Alex emphasises that he wants his disability to be acknowledged, but only as a starting point - so he can move on and leave it behind, much like the children he taught did. He also objects to disabled people in the media being labelled as inspiring, explaining that, in his words, “it’s setting the bar low for what inspiring is.”

“I don’t want to be labelled as inspiring,” he says. “I just enjoy making myself laugh and making other people laugh. I've not done anything incredible. Everything I have done has been for my own career.

“There’s this perception that all disabled people can only be one of two things - inspiring or miserable. Why can’t we be somewhere in the middle? I want to be able to have a spectrum of emotions just like everyone else.”

Whenever Alex is asked about his future career plans, the conversation often turns to what he will do for the disabled community - whether through charity, advocacy, or awareness work. While he embraces the chance to make a difference, he sees his influence as extending far beyond that.

For him, it’s less about leading a single community and more about empowering people in general, showing that support, opportunity, and even 'inspiration' aren’t limited to any one group.

“If you've got a platform, you should use it for good,” he says. “But I also think about what’s empowering for myself more than anyone else - I'm just going to keep working as hard as I can at the thing I love most in the world.

“If people see that and view it as inspiring, then that’s an added positive, but don’t assume that everything I do is to inspire other people. If it does do that, then that’s great. But that’s not the reason I do it.”