The one lesson I’ve learned from life

TELEVISION presenter Gaby Roslin, 51, rose to fame co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4. She lives in West London with her husband, David, and her two daughters, Libbi- Jack, 15, and Amelie, nine. Gaby currently presents The Saturday Show on Channel 5 at 9.30am.

Anyone can conquer crippling shyness

I MIGHT seem like a confident person — even an extrovert — but the truth is I’m frequently crippled by shyness. I’ve suffered from it my whole life.

As a child, I was always introduced as ‘the shy one’. The only time I didn’t feel self-conscious was when I was performing in school plays. Somehow, when I was on stage, the timidity disappeared.

As I grew into a teenager, I became even more shy — always worrying about what other people thought of me. I was desperately aware of this huge scar on my left arm from a tuberculosis jab that had become infected and required stitches.

Teenagers, of course, can be really cruel. If ever anyone wanted to get at me, they’d say: ‘Yuk! What is that?’ By the age of 15, I couldn’t even speak in front of strangers.

If I was going to a party, I’d get an upset stomach and be paralysed with nerves.

I’d shut myself in the bathroom, breathe, and repeat to myself: ‘You can do it, you can do it’, as if I were in some kind of bad American movie. Even today, I still feel absolutely terrified before a party.

If some of my friends are throwing a do and I don’t know other people there, I’ll become really timid and revert back to the 15-year-old me.

But in front of a camera, I’m absolutely fine. It’s the same as being on stage as a child — it’s almost as if there’s a protective barrier. It feels like viewers aren’t really seeing ‘me’.

A lot of performers are the same; in real life they’re as timid as a mouse.

In the end, though, I think my selfcritical nature has helped me because I’ve had to try that little bit harder. As a shy person, you’re always trying to prove your worth; to show the world (and yourself) that you do have a voice and that, even if you don’t believe it all the time, you should be heard.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if I can overcome my insecurities, anyone can. We are our own harshest critics. You have to believe in yourself; know that you can overcome — and you’ll be fine.

Take a deep breath, hold your head high and remember: you can do it.