Olly Murs reveals he has been suffering from anxiety and has been having therapy after severe panic attack on The Graham Norton Show
The singer opened up about the terrifying moment he was left unable to breathe
OLLY Murs revealed he's had therapy for anxiety after suffering a crippling panic attack that left him struggling for air on The Graham Norton Show.
The 34-year-old singer opened up about the nightmare, telling the "My heart was pounding and I couldn't breathe."
He added: "I'm standing behind the mic and I'm talking trying to calm myself down, thinking: 'What's going on? I've never ever been like this.' It was genuine panic.
"I was looking at my mum and dad in the audience and trying to focus, despite the fact I'd just forgotten my lyrics.
"It was just a routine performance but I didn't know what was going on."
Olly said he had a similar experience when he was told he had been chosen to be a coach on The Voice, but only sought help from a therapist after the second attack.
The singer had been roundly criticised when hosting The X Factor with Caroline Flack in 2015 when he mixed up the judges' scores and prematurely announced that Monica Michael was going home.
A therapist helped him understand how the backlash had hit him harder than he thought.
He said: "It was the idea of going on TV again, maybe making a mistake and being put in the spotlight again with people saying negative things about me.
“I’ve only ever had a career that’s been so positive. And when you get that little bit of negativity, it hurts.”
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Now Olly, who will begin his All The Hits tour on May 1, is encouraging men to speak out and seek help over their mental health.
The star has been very busy lately, landing his first voice-acting role as Doberman Spike in Disney series 101 Dalmation Street.
His new single, Feel The Same, is out on Friday.
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