Olivia Colman has hypnotherapy to combat crippling stage fright

Olivia Colman has had to have hypnotherapy to help her overcome crippling stage fright.

The Crown star, who is nominated for an Academy Award for her role in The Father, opened up about her fear of being on stage during the National Theatres' Life In Stages YouTube series.

"The moment just before the lights go down: (I think) "I f**king hate this job, I f**king hate myself and I'm going to vomit or wee and suddenly you are on stage. It's an awful feeling," she shared.

"I worry that as I get older and slightly more recognisable then all these people will watch when you f**k it up and say: 'We went to see that person we have seen on the telly; not that good on stage'," Colman went on.

The actress recalled an embarrassing incident that heightened her stage fright, revealing she has a fear of "getting the giggles" after she accidentally wet herself.

Discussing the incident, which happened when she was starring in The Miser with David Mitchell a few years ago, Colman disclosed: "I wet myself on stage from laughing. It was a raked stage and my entire bladder emptied and it went towards the audience in the front row. There is a fear at the back of my head that I could laugh so much that I could pee myself."