Entertainment
Jimmy Carr has a panic attack every morning after 2012 tax scandal: ‘It was a really horrible thing to go through’
Jimmy Carr has been open about his mental health (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Jimmy Carr has revealed he wakes up to a panic attack every morning following his tax avoidance scandal in 2012.
The comic had come under fire in 2012 after he was accused of being part of a tax avoidance scheme, which he then pulled out of and apologised for a ‘terrible error of judgment.’
Speaking to Jay Rayner on his podcast Out To Lunch, Jimmy confirmed he still has the panic attacks.
Asked if he had one that morning, he went on: ‘Yeah. I wake up with a bit of a start.
‘People deal with harder things… I think my stage persona would lead you to believe that this guy doesn’t give a f**k cause you’re doing one liners on stage, you’re in a certain mode when you’re doing that and it’s a status thing on stage. But actually, it was a really horrible thing to go through.’
Jimmy also referenced the panic attacks in his book, Before & Laughter, saying that, following the scandal in 2012, he ‘genuinely wondered if I’d ever be allowed to do stand-up again’
He worried he would never do stand-up again (Picture: Getty Images)
‘When shame is a part of an experience, it’s hard to feel like you have a right to anything,’ he added.
Jimmy has been more open than ever recently, chatting about topics including mental health, family, and fatherhood.
The comedian has kept his family life incredibly private but recently revealed that he has a two-year-old son, Rockefeller, with his partner Karoline Copping.
Asked why he’s more willing to chat about his son now, Jimmy explained: ‘We just wanted a bit of time to adjust to it ourselves.’
The comedian spoke to Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe on their podcast Parenting Hell, explaining that Rockefeller was born prematurely.
‘It was a terrifying morning because it was an emergency C-section,’ he recalled of the birth. ‘And when they “emergency,” then you sort of take the guy to one side and go, “What do you mean, emergency? What’s the worst case scenario?”
More: Jimmy Carr
‘And then they explain. Like, oh no that is legit frightening. We were very well taken care of, it was great. I don’t mind the gore and the guts of the thing so I was sort of in the business end as they sliced her open.
‘It was unbelievable.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Jimmy Carr slams cancel culture as ‘the new book burning’
