68 MAY 2017
other members of the cast and
by all accounts is one of the
most popular actors in the
troupe. “There are these
gorgeous make-up ladies there
and I’ve got good taste in
women, you know. I haven’t
dated any of them yet, but I’m
working on it.”
The world of dating and
finding his partner in life is a
real sticking point for Jules and
a source of worry for his mum,
who explores the subject in
depth in her new novel,Best
Laid Plans, a sequel toThe
Boy Who Fell to Earth, which
deals with the taboo subject of
autism and sex. “Once more
I’m nervous about invading
my son’s privacy, but sex for
the ‘differently abled’ is an
important issue. And nobody
ever speaks about it,” says
Kathy. The novel opens with
Lucy, a middle-class teacher
and mum, trying to solicit a
prostitute for her autistic son.
“Best Laid Plansis a work of
fiction, so it’s not Jules’ story, but I did
use a few things from his life,” says
Kathy. “For example, when he was
desperate to lose his virginity before his
21st birthday, I did actually consider
hiring a prostitute. Of course, as a
feminist, I couldn’t and didn’t resort
to this desperate measure, but the
thought definitely crossed my mind.
“Thankfully, Jules got a girlfriend
just before his 21st birthday and, well,
nature took its course! But around
that time, I did read a newspaper
story of a father who was arrested for
kerb-crawling to pick up a prostitute
for his disabled 19-year-old son and
it was then that the idea for my novel
kick-started into creativity.”
Jules has had four girlfriends to date
and is desperate to find his soul mate,
whom he hopes to meet at work. “I
wish I had a girlfriend. Even this great
line of work hasn’t got me one yet,” he
says, with an enchanting half-smile.
I ask him what his pick-up line is.
“I like to say, ‘I didn’t know they could
afford to hire supermodels here at the
BBC!’” Jules answers, quick as a flash.
“He’s having a bit of a drought
right now,” says Kathy. “But when
he’s in love, he’s just so far above
cloud nine, air traffic controllers keep
radioing in his position because he
feels everything so intensely. He
worships her. It’s amazing to watch.”
Jules says he’d love to marry one
day and settle down. “I wish that
women were more accepting of me.
Something scares them about dating
me.” He lives partly at the family
home in North London and partly
in a nearby flat of his own, where he
spends three or four nights a week.
Kathy confesses that, while she loves
to see him being independent, she lives
on eggshells most of the time.
“Every time he goes out of the door,
I’m worried that he’ll misread a social
situation or someone will misread him
and he’ll get his lights punched out orbe arrested. But he’s 26 and I
have to learn to let go.
“Parents of autistic kids
know that we can never cut
the psychological umbilical
cord, but their condition
doesn’t mean that they’ll
always be living in our attics.
With the right support and
encouragement, they can give
back to society in the most
remarkable ways. The lateral,
literal, tangential logic of
autistic people is truly unique,
creative and inspiring. As my
son has taught me, there is
no such thing as normal and
abnormal, just ordinary
and extraordinary.”
Kathy is in the process
of splitting from husband
Geoffrey, which she hopes
won’t reverberate too much
on Jules. “I really don’t want
to say much. Basically, Geoff
and I have separated on the
warmest of terms and remain
close and committed to the
family we have created together. I think
that,for women, life is in two acts- the trick is to survive the interval.
I’m in the interval right now, but I’m
definitely buying a big round of drinks!
“Geoff is the smartest man I’ve ever
met, saving the world’s underdogs from
their kennels. I love and respect him so
much and always will. Sometimes it’s
just good to take a breather and break
from each other to recharge. I don’t
know what will happen in the future.
I’m definitely going to spend more time
in Australia. I miss home so much.”
Jules says he too doesn’t rule out
living and working in Australia.
Careerwise, he would love to score a
role playing a regular “neurotypical”
character. “That’s our mission, isn’t it,
Jules? Imagine playing a baddie in a
James Bond movie,” poses Kathy.
“That would be really fun, actually,”
replies Jules, his beautiful mind already
calculating the possibilities. Certainly,
if anyone can make it happen, Julius
Robertson can.AWW
Best Laid Plansby Kathy Lette is
published by Penguin and on sale now.“I wish women
were more accepting
of me. Something
scares them.”HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY ALLISON BOYLE.