Love On The Spectrum's Abbey Reveals She Wanted A Boyfriend To Feel “Normal”

Abbey Romeo became one of the most recognisable faces on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, but her journey to finding love, identity and a voice was anything but simple. In this conversation, Abbey opens up about growing up with autism, the reality of feeling isolated and misunderstood, and what life was really like before the show. Abbey shares what autism feels like from the inside, describing it as living between two worlds, while Abbey’s mum Christine reflects on the challenges of raising a child in a system she believes is often broken. They speak honestly about the early years, from communication struggles and emotional breakthroughs to the moment Abbey first understood her diagnosis and how that shaped her identity. Christine also shares the unseen side of parenting, the survival mode, the lack of support, and the turning points that slowly gave them hope. Abbey also reflects on finding love with her boyfriend David, what their relationship means to her, and the quiet ways he makes her feel safe, understood and seen. From building a successful hat business to discovering her voice through music, Abbey demonstrates how purpose, creativity and connection have transformed her life and why representation matters more than ever. Abbey Romeo, We Need To Talk 00:00 Intro 01:50 The Success of Love on the Spectrum 02:39 How Abbey Felt When She First Joined the Show 03:46 Why Hannah Montana Is Important To Abbey 04:50 Abbey and Christine on Becoming Public Figures 06:04 Why Christine Didn't Think Abbey Belonged On The Show 08:17 Abbey’s Emotional Connection to Mermaids 10:22 Abbey Gifts Paul One of Her Hats 12:32 When Abbey Discovered She Was Autistic 14:12 Abbey’s Experiences Across Different Schools 17:59 Christine’s View on the Origins of Autism 18:45 How Abbey Defines Autism 19:23 Paul Shows Abbey a Photo of Her as a Baby 21:00 What It’s Like Filming Love on the Spectrum 25:10 What Abbey Likes About Her Boyfriend David 28:31 Does Abbey Love David? 32:45 Shopify Ad 33:51 When Abbey and David Became Official 36:16 How Much Time Christine Has to Herself 37:11 Christine on Parenting an Autistic Child 41:47 What Abbey Loves Most About Christine 45:56 Abbey’s Musical Ability 47:50 Abbey’s Favourite TV Shows 49:03 David’s Ability to See Numbers as Colours 52:15 Paul Surprises Abbey With a Message From A Celebrity Guest 58:16 What Abbey Wishes People Knew About Autism 58:48 What Abbey and David Like to Do Together 59:21 The New Series Of Love On The Spectrum 01:00:03 Most Memorable Conversation 01:03:16 Paul’s Takeaways Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod Sign up to our newsletter https://linkly.link/2eXHX Follow Abbey here: https://www.instagram.com/hatsbyabbey https://www.tiktok.com/@hatsbyabbey Sponsored by: Shopify: www.shopify.co.uk/needtotalk