Madonna reveals she suffers from on-stage panic attacks

Despite being a world-wide star for over 25 years, Madonna has revealed she sometimes has panic attacks before taking to the stage.

She told Dazed and Confused magazine recently: “I have moments where I feel incredibly invincible and know that I have the audience in my hand - I know that everything is absolutely perfect.”

“And then I have panic attacks where I feel like everyone is breathing my air and I cannot live up to everybody’s expectations and I might just die on stage.”

“I normally try to turn my back to the audience, take a deep breath and remind myself that it’s all temporary. I’m not worried about f***ing up — I really have a panic attack that everyone else is breathing my air. It’s hard to describe.”

“When you have panic attacks you cannot rationalise them. Obviously there’s enough oxygen for me but it never happens outdoors, it’s normally in indoor sports arenas that feel very close when suddenly I feel claustrophobic.”

“It’s not a fear of performing.”