Professor Jason Arday, one of Cambridge University's youngest black professors, is facing questions about the veracity of his extraordinary life story, which has been lauded as a Hollywood-esque narrative of triumph over adversity. His upcoming autobiography, "Great And Unfortunate Things," details a path from a south London council estate to academia, marked by claims of overcoming severe autism, dyslexia, numerous medical conditions, and raising millions for charity.
Arday's account includes a childhood diagnosis of global development delay, a form of autism, with doctors reportedly stating he was "no better than a vegetable" and would never learn to talk, read, or write. He claims to have undergone intensive speech therapy for thousands of hours. However, his former wife, Debbie McKenzie, stated on the TV show "Surprise! Surprise!" in 2013 that Arday learned to speak at age 11 and could not read or write until he was 16, a timeline that differs from some of his other accounts.
Further scrutiny surrounds his alleged participation in the BBC's "Seven Up" documentary series. Arday claimed he was part of the program, which follows individuals over their lives, but was removed at age 14. The BBC has stated that Arday had no involvement in their films, with a spokesperson for Arday explaining the reference was an informal shorthand for a local community initiative.
His academic and sporting achievements have also come under examination. Arday has claimed to have played football semi-professionally and to have excelled at snooker, winning significant sums of money. His official CV lists visiting professorships at Glasgow University and Ohio State University, but both institutions have stated they have no record of him holding such positions. Glasgow University confirmed he was never a visiting professor, and Ohio State University has no record of an employee by that name.
Significant doubts have also been raised about his claims of raising over £5 million for charity. While initially stating he had raised this sum, Arday later confessed that the actual amount was less. He cited being part of a "syndicate" of around 100 people and claimed to be bound by a non-disclosure agreement that prevented him from providing further details or identifying the beneficiaries.
Allegations of humanitarian work, including installing water pumps in South American favelas with WaterAid, have also been contested. WaterAid stated they do not send volunteers abroad or facilitate self-funded visits.
Arday has described facing racial intimidation and abuse, including threats and the delivery of a pig's head to his home. However, the Metropolitan Police have stated that their records do not support these claims, and a butcher shop named by Arday denied any involvement or knowledge of police visiting their premises.
In addition to these controversies, reports have emerged of Arday reporting critics to the police for harassment, including a reporter from Times Higher Education and an academic from Plymouth Marjon University. Cambridge University has denied paying the legal fees for the law firm that sent threatening letters on Arday's behalf.
The professor also claims to have endured severe medical issues, including epilepsy, a benign brain tumor requiring surgery, and a mini-stroke shortly before completing his PhD viva in 2016. His autobiography is set to be published this month.