Dancing On Ice star Connor Ball has opened up about his crippling struggle with panic attacks and how they were ruining his life.
The 25-year-old, from Aberdeen, Scotland, shot to fame as the bassist and one of four vocalists of The Vamps after their covers of pop songs went viral on YouTube.
But in the early days of his career, Connor suffered from anxiety and depression, which was brought on by his crippling fear of touring.
On This Morning, he told therapists Nik and Eva Speakman: "I suffer with generalised anxiety order, panic attacks and depression as well.
"In the band it has affected me because I don’t go to as many things as I would like to or should do. I would like to be going out and seeing more people."
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His bandmates James, added: "It is sad to think that some of the best times of my life were probably some of the worst times of Connor’s life.”
But things hit rock bottom when he had to be rushed to the hospital for anxiety-induced attacks while on their first tour alongside McFly.
"Even before we released Can We Dance we did a support gig with McFly, and I had to go into hospital because I was so anxious," he said.
"I didn't realise at the time that that's what anxiety even was.
"I couldn't breathe. It was overwhelming, but over the years I got used to it."
Nik and Eva asked Connor to think back to his childhood to see what could have triggered his issues.
An allergic reaction to monkey nuts while in Thailand at the age of six made him fearful about touring outside of the UK.
He admitted: "It's more abroad stuff I get more worried about. It makes sense, it's good to hear it. Feels relief when he is back in the UK. Now that I've spoken about it to you two. I know what I need to speak about and it's not as bad to speak about and understand."
He then recalled a terrifying incident in Greece when he was about nine, saying: "I remember when we were on holiday and I had to swim under a big rock to get to a beach and I got stuck and I was like ‘I am not going to be able to breathe’."
The Speakmans then pointed out that his fear of touring might be down to these incidents.
Realising the supposed root of his problems, he said: "It makes me feel a bit like relieved almost. It makes sense, it is just good to hear it."
Connor says learning about the "triggers" which set off his anxiety with Nik and Eva has pretty much cured him.
He said: "Going to a lot of different doctors, you never get to the root cause of it. But speaking to Nic and Eva was a massive relief. I didn't think I would be able to do something like this. I only spent a day in total with them and it's sort of gone."
Nik explained: "There is always a trigger at the back of it. If you find the trigger and go back to the beginning you can fix something."
Luckily the star has his family, friends and girlfriend to support him when times get tough, but it's the band who "understands."
Connor said his bandmates – Bradley Simpson, Tristan Evans and James Brittain-McVey – are the ones he can "really speak to."
"We've been through the exact same thing. They've all had their own things, and everyone seems to be in the same boat," he told OK!.
Now he's one of the 12 contestants competing in Dancing On Ice this year, alongside his partner Finnish pro skater Alexandra Shauman.
And he's hoping Scotland can get behind him and his partner Alexandra – especially as he’s the only celeb from the north.
He said: "As the only Scot I hope everyone up there can get behind me whether I’m good or bad. I appreciate the votes.
"I’m nervous about Sunday and just want to try my best and get through it. I don’t think I’ll win the show but I just want to give it my best shot and see how far I can go.”
* Dancing on Ice continues on Sunday at 6pm on ITV
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