'It was so scary': Joanne McNally says she had a panic attack and froze on stage during Cork gig

She described the experience in a podcast, saying she was also heckled while it happened

Joanne McNally in the Everyman Theatre, Cork. Pictures: Miki Barlok

Comedian Joanne McNally has revealed she had a panic attack on stage in the Everyman Theatre in Cork last week.

McNally, who is touring the country with her 100-night sold out tour, told Vogue Williams in their podcast, My Therapist Ghosted Me, that she froze during a recent show.

"I'm in Cork at the moment. Oh my god. So I was in the Everyman the other night and you know those weird turns I get where I can't speak and my hands go and stuff? It happens on stage. On stage in the middle of the show. It happened," she said.

"It was horrible. I didn't know what was going on. I knew I was having it and then the more you think 'I'm having a panic attack' then you start having a panic attack. I didn't know what I was saying, I didn't know what was coming next. I was just kind of staring. Oh, it was horrible."

In addition, she said an audience member started heckling her during her panic attack.

Joanne McNally in the Everyman Theatre.

"And then while that was happening, I got my first actual proper heckle. Some girl in the audience. She went 'where's this going?' In fairness, I didn't know where it was going because I was out of my f*****g mind. Like, if you weren't out of your mind you'd be like, 'I don't know where this is going but you're going to the f*****g lobby, you bitch'. It was horrible."

Seeing the light side, McNally said she probably doesn't have "a massive anxiety disorder" and said she believes it was caused by the three energy drinks and two glasses of wine she had before the show started.

"It wasn't a total mess, I think I kind of half pulled it off. But I got off stage and I was saying to Gearoid, 'what's going on?' And he said, 'Well, what did you do before you went on stage?' And I was like, 'Well I'd two glasses of white wine and three Red Bulls'. 

"So basically, I don't have a massive anxiety disorder. I am surviving on Red Bull, popcorn and white wine and then wondering why I'm having panic attacks on stage. I'm just so glad no one is saying you can't be having the wine, the Red Bull's the problem. But it was really scary."