'It's like being drunk'

Dawn French has revealed that she suffers debilitating vertigo on stage.

She says she was diagnosed with the condition after performing her stand-up show 30 Million Minutes in 2014.

French told the London Evening Standard: ‘I was on stage in Southend. The room started to spin. I finished the show but the crew were ready at the side of the stage, waiting to drag me off if I fell over. I don’t think I’m brave. I grab on to things on set to get my balance.

She never suffers the condition offstage and said: ‘We found out it was exacerbated by the lights on the stage and the video screen at the back.

‘I’m used to it now. I understand if the floor looks like it’s wobbling, it is in my mind. It’s weird — like you’re drunk without alcohol. You’re not sure what’s up and what’s down.’

She was speaking ahead of the return of 30 Million Minutes to the West End, with a final six-night run starting at the Vaudeville Theatre on Tuesday.

Published: 14 Oct 2016