Jon Richardson: A Little Bit OCD

For the past decade, comedian Jon Richardson's life has been driven by a quest for perfection. It has dictated everything from his eating habits and his relationship with his mother, to his ability to go on dates or even entertain the idea of living with his friends. His obsessive nature and need to control the world around him was minutely detailed in his book, It's Not Me, It's You, and has been the focus of his stand-up material that has helped his career flourish over recent years. Now, in Jon Richardson: A Little Bit OCD, he delves into the world of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders.

Jon is not alone. After writing an article about his exacting nature affecting his ability to find a suitable girlfriend last year, he was inundated with letters from readers who identified with his compulsive need for immaculate cleanliness, precision and organisation. But Jon admits he knows very little about the condition. Now with his 30th birthday approaching, he's determined to find out what exactly OCD is, what it's like for people living with this disorder and whether he actually has the condition.

Jon meets some of the one million sufferers around the UK, ranging from mild to profound conditions. Amongst others, Jon meets Tom a 24-year-old fellow actor and comedian who has recently been diagnosed with minor compulsions. He's never publicly discussed his condition but his disorder means he has a colourful array of tics and a quirky way of taking on the world which manifests itself most obviously when he's walking on pavements. John, a 16-year-old school boy whose life is dominated by a plethora of compulsions affecting him on an hourly basis - in every step he takes and every movement he makes, including sitting down. Having only just come to the surface, it's affecting his prospects at school. With his impending upcoming GCSE results, he and his parents are desperate to avoid a future crippled by OCD. Thirty-five-year-old Gemma has profound OCD and is terrified of toilet tissue dust and contamination. Her fears have left her virtually a prisoner in her own home, struggling to entertain the idea of visitors. Sixty-six-year-old Joyce has lived with OCD for over 40 years and several members of Joyce's extended family have also had the condition, including her son, who tragically committed suicide after being unable to live with the daily torture of his OCD.

As well a range of sufferers, Jon talks to his friends, former flat-mates, including comedian Russell Howard, and his own mother in a bid to discover the nature of his compulsions. He also meets staff who treat in-patients with the most extreme form of OCD, and experts in the field to gain insight into the disorder. At the end of the film he finds out once and for all if he's a simply a demanding perfectionist or has OCD in an intimate one to one session with one of the country's leading experts in the condition.