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Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar’s daughter, singer Madeleine Dunbar, has opened up for the first time about struggling with addiction, substance abuse and ADHD.
The 37-year-old, who performs under the name MINX, revealed that she has now channelled her painful past into a new music video inspired by Madonna and Lady Gaga.
Madeleine says her new single Dopamine – out next month – draws directly from her experience with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a neurological condition she describes as ‘exhausting and euphoric in equal measure’, and the harmful addictions that coincided.
Dopamine is a feel-good hormone that spikes when we seek pleasure. Dips linked to ADHD or addiction can leave people chasing constant highs – so fuelling the cycle of addiction.
The London-based artist, who will give her debut performance of the song at Camden Club in the capital next week, promises an explosive show tackling her personal struggles head-on.
‘It’s going to be octane, fierce and fabulous,’ she said. ‘Big beats and provocative lyrics covering drug addiction, ADHD, sex addiction and the patriarchy. That sounds heavy, but it’s a full-fat vibe – this is music to dance to and lose yourself in.’
She shared striking images from her music video on Instagram this week, in which the flame-haired performer can be seen sprawled across a lime-green satin bedspread with beer cans rolled into her red hair as makeshift curlers.
She is surrounded by lines of cocaine, pill packets and bottles.
‘Fully clean and sober writing songs about addiction is cathartic but sitting in front of my favourite vices (albeit fake substitutes) was a bit triggering,’ she wrote in the caption.
‘It also made me feel a great sadness for the person I once was and the people still suffering.
‘This track is a foray into the desperation felt by anyone suffering with ADHD or addiction or like me, both! The frenzied need to feel better to feel different to feel normal. The futile necessity of instant gratification because that low dopamine is REAL and makes you feel so f****** empty and unenthused.’
Madeleine added: ‘If you or a loved one are struggling, speak out and seek help. It can be done, we do recover.’
The singer, who has a three-year-old daughter Zephry, is herself the daughter of Adrian, 67, who plays whisky-loving, no-nonsense Superintendent Ted Hastings, and his wife, Dutch-Australian actress Anna Nygh, 77.
Lyrics from the song include: ‘And every time I think that I’m in control / You serve another cocktail of chemicals / And it’s nice, but I wonder / Are you lifting me up or just pulling me under?’
Madeleine has previously alluded to a complicated relationship with drink, once saying she found solace in sobriety groups after years of self-destructive behaviour.
In an Instagram post last year, she shared a clip of herself running on a treadmill with the caption: ‘Better to fall off the treadmill than fall off the wagon. Having a community of sober queens around who inspire me is such a blessing.’
Her father Adrian has his own history with alcohol, once describing booze as ‘a great friend, but the amity went sour’.
The actor quit drinking on his 40th birthday and spent nearly two decades sober while attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. However, in 2019, he started drinking again.
Now fully focused on her recovery and creativity, Madeleine says she wants her music to shine a light on the reality of living with ADHD, particularly for women.
‘So many of us suffer from addiction in one form or another or battle with neurological disorders like ADHD and autism,’ she said. ‘I’m just glad we live in such a connected world where we can share our stories, experiences, hope and coping mechanisms.
‘We are blessed to have many means of support and channels to express ourselves and raise awareness. I’m grateful for the medium of song to share my experiences and help close the gap.’
The singer describes her sound as ‘high-energy pop rap with hip hop, house and Latin influences’, drawing inspiration from Madonna, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae and Rosalia.
Her shows, she says, are designed to be cathartic for both herself and her audience.
‘It’s fierce, it’s sweaty, it’s unapologetic,’ she said. ‘Yes, I’m talking about addiction and sex, but I’m also talking about survival and joy. I want people to feel seen – and to dance.’
Madeleine previously made headlines for her whirlwind engagement to builder Callum Lazenby-Todd, whom she met on dating app Bumble and proposed to while pregnant on London’s South Bank. The pair split last year.
Madeleine’s father is Line of Duty star Adrian, and mother is Anna Nygh, an Australian actress and casting director.
Anna’s TV credits include Sweeney 2, Arms and the Man, Capital City and Bugs, as well as a stint as Dr Emma Reid on EastEnders.
The couple tied the knot in 1986, after being set up on a blind date by Scandal actress Joanne Whalley.
